The Life She Created
by RainyDaySunlight
Summary: What the show didn't tell about Sydney's life during her two years with the Covenant, as Julia Thorne, and the relationship that comes from partnering with her enemy. Also, what comes next. Sarkney. Better summary inside...
1. Introducing Julia Thorne

**Title**: The Life She Created

**Pairings**: Julia/Sark, Julia/Simon, Sydney/Sark, hints of Vaughn/Lauren & Vaughn/Sydney

**Summary**: Whey Sydney is taken by the Covenant, she manages to convince them she has become Julia Thorne. Now working undercover for the CIA she must maintain her cover as Julia even when a previous enemy discovers the truth. When she feels she is losing herself to her new fake identity and can't turn to anyone from her past, she must turn to the last person she would ever expect to care. This is my first Alias fic, but I've had the idea for a while. Sark is my favorite character and I absolutely love how captivated he seems to be by Sydney. So I figured that she must have had some excitement in her two years working for the Covenant. Of course the show told us some of what happened and I'll be following that roughly, however, I'll also be changing a few things. Spoilers could be anything up to season 3. For the most part this is going to focus on Sydney during her missing two years, so there won't be much of the familiar characters at CIA until later chapters probably. The posts will probably be relatively short, I find that's easier to get them up faster and also easier for the reader! I'll try to stay constant (and not abandon my other stories at the same time!)

**Disclaimer: ** I do not own Alias or any of its characters. Any character name not from the show is my own creation.

**Please let me know what you think of it! Reviews are sooooo greatly appreciated and they are very encouraging for me to get the chapters out quickly! I am also open to suggestions and requests and recommendations and comments or just general praise (just kidding, sort of!) Please read, enjoy, and let me know it! **

…………

"Hello, this is Julia…yes sir, I'll be right over!" She hung up the phone with a long sigh and dropped her head back into the downy comfort of her fluffy pillows, murmuring to herself: "Here I go again!"

………

It had been nearly two weeks since Agent Sydney Bristow had sacrificed her identify and the familiarity of everything she knew and everyone she loved. She had given herself over for the sake of her country, which was of course nothing new for her, but this time she was afraid she would never escape…at least not alive.

………

"Freelancer reporting in. Request meeting with home base at 1300 hours." Sydney reported into her secure cell phone dutifully.

"Meeting confirmed." The robotic operator on the other line concluded the conversation and Sydney hung up.

………

It had probably been the shock of seeing Vaughn with another woman that had been the most influential factor in Sydney's decision to remain undercover with the Covenant. Well, that and her fear for the safety of everyone dear to her. She had lost too many people and had reached a point of resolution not to ever supply cause for danger to anyone else. And so she had made an arrangement with Director Kendall to relinquish the life of Sydney Anne Bristow and to become Julia Thorne.

The first to weeks as Julia had been rather uneventful. The Covenant had assigned her a handler of sorts, Marti Easton, who was her main contact with the Covenant, since they mostly sanctioned her for freelance work. His responsibility was to keep her updated on the Covenants' expectations of her, but so far the most exciting thing she had done was to decorate her new penthouse apartment in Rome.

Though her Covenant work was so far fairly mundane, Sydney was quickly learning that life as Julia Thorne was actually quite thrilling. Her new persona had a character and a name to live up to – a certain style to live by. It included, but was not limited to: a posh Roman flat, a brand new white Jaguar, and a wardrobe appropriate for her frequent appearances at all the classiest parties. She had a reputation to uphold. Hers was a name respected, desired, and most importantly feared. Of course, there was not true evidence to the events that established her significant reputation, but the Covenant had skills, which even Sydney doubted to ever fully comprehend.

"Have you been waiting long?" Sydney asked without a flaw in her practiced English accent as she arrived at the familiar outdoor café a block from her flat. It was the perfect place for a light breakfast, an afternoon cup of coffee (or rather tea, as Julia preferred), or an early-morning meeting.

"Not terribly, though I do wish we could work on your promptness problem." Marti scoffed as Sydney took a seat across from him.

"You can work on it all you want, though I doubt it will do any good." Sydney held up her Julia-manicured hand and a waiter scurried over. "Two egg omelet please, with red pepper and jack cheese."

"And to drink, Miss?"

"Herbal tea."

Since Marti had waited for so long, he already had his food, so the waiter hurried off to retrieve Sydney's order. He analyzed her unsettled expression. "Is something the matter Miss Thorne?"

"You do realize it is seven o'clock on a Saturday morning, don't you?" She replied.

"Of course I do."

"Then I am assuming that this meeting is for an emergency of some sort." Sydney pressed, instructing him to quickly state his goal.

Marti ignored the drop of bitterness in her tone. "What's wrong? Am I keeping you from a shopping expedition?"

"Not that you really care, but I was out late last night. I was working at a dinner party at the Ambassador's mansion, it was an enchanting event." Sydney put on her most smug Julia smile and waited as the waiter placed her tea on the table.

"Partying with royalty were you? My, my, I am sorry to have missed such an intoxicatingly vain affair." Marti rolled his eyes.

"You don't fool me for a moment, Marti. You _are_ sorry you weren't there. You envy me. Everyone does. You couldn't buy my reputation for all the diamonds in the world." Sydney knew exactly how to push all of his buttons.

Marti had begun his childish seething. "You two really will be perfect partners."

"Excuse me?" Sydney snapped into her professional mode.

"Well, if you are quite finished with your display, I will explain why I called you here."

Sydney decided she had performed Julia well enough for one morning and politely silenced. "Please, continue."

He cleared his throat and pulled a nondescript black folder from his briefcase. "This is the information you will need for your assignment."

Sydney scanned the important points quickly, noting location, goal, and cover story. Then she frowned. "This does not explain the job."

"All you need to know at this point is that it will vary slightly from your usual work. I am aware that you are more accustomed to quick assassination work, Miss Thorne, but our employers believe that you would be best for this particular job." Marti explained. "It will be quick enough."

Sydney nodded. "I am not concerned with the time it will take." She scrutinized the specific goals of her mission. "But should I not be told what my mission is, since I will be flying to the United States?"

"You will be given more information in time. For you now you may know that it will be brief and will involve return cargo." Marti eyed her carefully. "Is there a problem, Miss Thorne?"

She shook her head casually. "I'm just not usually the girl for a quick-grab job." She smiled at him confidently. "But I'll adjust fine." Sydney was quite aware that Marti was more than just a contact for her, he was also a way for the Covenant to keep an eye on her and to make sure that none of her past identity came through, since they were firmly convinced she had adapted to Julia Thorne. She carefully hid any of her surprise at being given a mission that appeared to be so close to the headquarters for her former employment with the CIA. "You mentioned a partner."

Marti blushed. "He is irrelevant at this point. You will be informed of it when they see fit."

"_He_?" Sydney smirked as he glared at her. "You weren't supposed to let that bit of information slip, were you?"

He glared at her. "We're finished here. Derek will contact you for wardrobe and tech."

She laughed as he hurried away, leaving her alone to nibble at her boring eggs. She sniffed at the herbal tea and sipped it begrudgingly. _What I wouldn't give for a strong cup of coffee_! She finished her breakfast dutifully, including the tea, and began the leisurely stroll back to her apartment.

………

Along with accepting a new look and identity as Julia, Sydney also had to train herself to abandon a few of the little things she had become attached to in life, such as coffee, or red meat. At the same time she had been forced to train herself to at least pretend to enjoy things that she typically would have turned away, such as herbal tea.

………

"Good morning, Miss Thorne."

"Good morning, Bernard." Sydney smiled cordially at the doorman who was always waiting to greet her with a smile when she arrived at the lobby of her apartment building. Sydney couldn't deny that being Julia Throne definitely had some benefits.

"You were out late last night Julia."

Sydney rolled her eyes as a familiar anxious voice greeted her ears while she waited for the lift. "I suppose I was." She glanced complacently at the tall man beside her. "Were you waiting up for me, Paul?"

Paul Dillon was one of Julia Thorne's neighbors. He had become completely infatuated with her the first day he had seen her. Sydney considered him impressively good looking, with dark curls and a flashing white-toothed smile that would make any girl swoon, but she had been very careful not to lead him on. It would never benefit a woman like Julia Thorne to form a relationship with a law student; actually she wasn't the sort of woman to form a serious relationship with anyone. Besides, her undercover work with the Covenant was precarious enough without letting in a man as a distraction, not to mention her crushing heartbreak in losing Vaughn was still very new for her.

"So, I assume you have your weekend packed full of all the exciting social events, as usual…" He smiled half-heartedly, as though wishing she would for once make room for him in her busy schedule.

"Actually no, not this weekend." Sydney informed him. His eyes seemed to light up with hope. "I'm taking a trip, out of town."

"Oh…" He looked crestfallen. "To where?"

Sydney hesitated briefly before expertly pulling together a twisted version of the truth. "To America." She told him. "To catch up with some old friends."

"Well, have a good trip." He left her at her door and continued down the hall to his own apartment, completely devastated.

_Trust me honey, I'm doing you a favor by rejecting you._ Sydney watched him enter his flat as she unlocked her own door.

"I don't like that guy." A cold voice greeted her ears as she entered her flat. It was about as welcoming as a cold shower in the middle of winter.

"Oh really?" Sydney rolled her eyes. "You don't know anything about him, Derek."

"Exactly, and I don't trust him." Derek grunted as he stood from the overstuffed chair he had made himself comfortable in while he waited for her to return to her apartment.

"He's just an ordinary guy, Derek. I've checked up on him."

Derek looked skeptical but gave into her insistence.

"You have supplies for me." Sydney stated, rather than questioned. She was eager to be done with this meeting. Derek was nothing like Marshal who provided her with supplies at the CIA. The two technicians were as opposite as possible. Derek was undeniably brilliant, but equally sleazy and imposing. He clearly wanted more than simply a professional relationship with her, but Julia was not accustomed to giving herself to men such as Derek.

"I have set everything out for you in your bedroom." He grinned slowly. "And I thought that since you have a few hours until departure, we might finally get a chance to get to know one another better…"

"Tempting, but I'll pass." Sydney replied without expression. "Please leave now Derek. I need to prep." He reached for her hand but she quickly pulled away. "Must we really go through this again?"

"Come on Julia, just one kiss?" He pleaded shamelessly.

Sydney turned her eyes to him, revealing an expression of brutal resolve. "If you have not vacated these premises in the next sixty seconds I will make you regret the day your met me."

Derek frowned but started towards the door in resignation. "You may have your way this time Julia, but one day you will realize that being alone is a boring life to lead. And at that time I will be certain to be around for you to turn to!"

"When that day comes, which I am not entirely convinced it ever will, you will definitely not be the one I'd turn to." Sydney answered him calmly. "If I am ever so desperate, I will go to Paul."

Derek seemed to be straining against the verbal attack he would have liked to send her way. Instead of lashing out, he wisely bit his tongue, shot her fierce darts with his eyes, and evacuated from her apartment.

………

"I don't understand why they're sending you to the states!" Director Kendall frowned as he paced the length of the small sitting room where he had his meetings with Sydney.

"Well, my instructions are pretty clear…"

"Of course, but it still is strange. I never would have assumed the Covenant would dare send you back to the CIA. Are they desperate enough to risk you being recognized?"

"You're right. It doesn't make sense." Sydney agreed. "If I were to be recognized, then the CIA would take me into custody and the Covenant would have to assume that I would be useless to them after that…"

"And they clearly have much larger purposes for you if they were willing to put you through so much just to change your perception of your identity. If they just wanted intel from you they could have tortured you." Kendall paused noting the pained expression on her face. "I mean, more than they did, of course…"

Lines creased in Sydney's forehead as she tried to work out the puzzle. "They must have a bigger agenda. I know that they have other people who are usually assigned to thievery jobs. I'm a freelancer usually reserved for assassinations and very high-profile thefts…"

"The CIA is a high-profile theft."

"True." Sydney shrugged. "The thing that's really getting me though is that they won't tell me specifically what I'm doing yet. The only information I have gotten is my cover story, my destination, and my alias. It's obvious that this involves the CIA or they wouldn't be sending me so close to our offices in LA. I guess there's not much I can do about it though. I have to give them what they're sending me for. If I try to give them a fake of whatever it is, they'll know I haven't really changed into Julia Thorne and then I won't be able to infiltrate them undercover anymore…"

Kendall nodded. "I agree. I wish there was another way to do this without losing some important article in the process, but the information you can gather from the inside is undoubtedly more valuable."

"Then I guess I'm off." She stood and headed for the door. "I'll be in touch when I get back."

"Good luck." Kendall offered simply.

"It feels weird to be breaking into the CIA to steal something for the enemy. If that is actually what I'm doing…" Sydney almost smiled. "I guess it's all part of the job."

"Oh, and do I need to remind you to stay out of sight?" Kendall added as she started to leave. "There are many people in your life who cannot know that you are still alive."

Sydney nodded. "I know. I'll be careful."


	2. Distraction Duty

_A/N: Wow, thanks so much for all the reviews! I wasn't sure how interested people would be in this idea, but I'm so glad to see such an exciting reception! It might take a couple more chapters for Sark to enter, but I promise when he does his part will be significant! Please review and leave comments! Maybe even ideas or suggestions if you have any! I'm always open for fresh ideas! Thanks again!_

…………

"Welcome to Los Angeles International airport. Thank you for flying with us and have a wonderful day!"

Sydney gathered her purse and small carry-on suitcase, which held dozens of useful trinkets supplied by Derek, as she waited patiently with the rest of the first class passengers to disembark the plane. She wasn't quite sure what to expect when she began her mission, but she remember Kendall's warnings and she knew it would be adamant for her not to be seen. Until she received more information from the Covenant on her next move she planned to simply remain at the hotel and lie low.

"Was it just me, or did it feel like that flight would never end?" A kindly older woman smiled at Sydney.

She nodded politely, but her expression remained straight.

"Is this home for you dear, or a vacation?" The lady asked.

Sydney hesitated. "It's more of a business trip actually." She answered with her English accent perfectly intact. "Not a vacation at all really."

"Well, perhaps you'll find some time to enjoy yourself between all your work."

Sydney acknowledged the woman with a curt smile before moving off the plane. She had barely gotten more than a few feet away from the gate when she heard someone calling out for her.

"Miss Thorne!"

Sydney turned around and spotted a man dressed in a business suit and holding up a sign with the words 'Miss J. Thorne' typed on it.

"Yes, I am Julia Thorne." She returned to him curiously.

"I have a car waiting for you."

"I wasn't expecting a car." She answered with uncertainty.

"Well, actually your employers have someone they would like you to meet." The driver informed her. "They believe the two of you could work well together."

"I'm not used to working with anyone." Julia replied firmly.

"On this job you are instructed to have a partner. It will only be a brief partnership. She has purposes as well."

"She?" Sydney frowned. _I thought my partner was a man._ But she only nodded and followed the driver to the waiting car.

"She is waiting for you inside." He nodded towards the car and opened the backdoor for Sydney.

Nothing in her life, including the terrors she had experienced in the previous six months, could have prepared Sydney for the sight waiting for her in the back seat of the sleek black town car. Luckily, her years of training with both SD-6 and the CIA had not been wasted on her performing skills.

"Hello," the woman seated within the car greeted Sydney with a velvety smooth voice.

"Hello." Sydney kept her voice steady, shocking herself by her ability to not lunch across the seat and choke the woman sitting there until she died.

"I am Allison Doren. The Covenant believes we will be able to cooperate well together." She gave a fake smile. "Supposedly we have a lot in common."

Sydney wondered how far the Covenant would push her with their blatant tests. "I am Julia Thorne. If this is the Covenant's wish then I must abide by it. As to our commonalities, we will have to see." She presented Allison with an equally fake smile.

"Please get in the car, Miss Thorne, and we will be on our way. Miss Doren will fill you in on all the details."

Sydney slid into the backseat beside Allison, and tried desperately not to show the disgust she was currently feeling. "So you have been working with the covenant a long time?"

Allison lifted her chin slightly. "For about six months. I suppose you could say they saved my life, and so I owed it to them in a way." She smiled a wickedly deceiving smile that told Sydney that she had full memories of their battle. "And have you been with them long?"

"I'm not particularly with them. I'm freelance. Assassin, usually, except this time I suppose." _Unfortunately_. Sydney added in her thoughts as she thought about how much pleasure she could receive from killing Allison. "I've been doing jobs with them for a couple of weeks."

"So if you work mostly assassinations, why do you suppose they've assigned you to this job?"

"They wanted the best." She said it easily enough, but from the second Sydney had seen Allison Doren sitting in the car, she realized that this trip to America was not about any sort of job. It was a test for her. Hopefully a final test to be certain that Sydney Bristow was truly gone and Julia Thorne was left perfectly in her place. She would have to be extra careful not to betray any memory of her past with Allison.

"Oh? Should I be honored then to be working with you?"

"Only if we succeed." Sydney offered a very slight smile. "Which we will." _How the hell did I let her fool me for so long? She is nothing like Francie…_Sydney gritted her teeth against the pain she felt over her memories.

"I think you ladies would like to know that we're nearing the hotel where you will be staying." The driver told them. "It's a safe place. The hotel is run by our people."

Sydney understood his words to mean that the hotel would be under constant surveillance, violating every bit of their privacy during their stay. She glanced at Allison and picked up on what seemed to almost be a flicker of irritation, or even worry. _Maybe she isn't as obedient as the covenant believes her to be. I have a feeling this is going to be a very interesting mission. _

…………

"I'm not typically accustomed to being the distraction." Sydney argued with Allison as they prepared for the op early the following morning in Sydney's hotel room. She still had to hold herself back from strangling Allison every time they were in the same room, but Sydney knew how to stay professionally undercover.

"The Covenant has given orders and it is our job to follow them. That won't be a problem for you will it, Julia?" Allison cocked her head questioningly.

Sydney snatched up her planned outfit with raised eyebrows. "It won't be a problem at all. I will adjust."

"I will meet you at the car in thirty minutes." Allison declared as she left Sydney's room.

Fully aware of the security cameras hidden in her room, Sydney quickly changed into her outfit, perfect for her assignment for the mission. Even though she assessed this mission to be mainly a test, it was clear that there was more to it and Sydney couldn't figure out why the Covenant had taken her off the technical part of the job. Instead she had been reassigned to distraction duty. Julia Thorne had not gotten her reputation because of how well she could distract…well for the most part.

…………

_This is absolutely ridiculous_. Sydney was still complaining to herself as she took her place n the side of the mostly abandoned highway, while Allison prepped for her part of the mission elsewhere. Sydney wasn't sure where Allison was at the moment because she hadn't been filled in on all the details. _Why are they keeping me in the dark? What are they hiding from me? _

The roar of car engines in the distance alerted Sydney to her job. She adjusted her short dress and double-checked the fake wounds in her hand mirror before slipping it back into her bra for storage.

Sydney saw the glare of sun reflecting off car windshields as the cars reached the crest of the distant hill. She waited for a brief moment more before staggering out into the road. When the armored vehicles neared she held her hand to her head and dropped to the ground, lying as though she had feinted.

As predicted the two cars slowed to a curious stop just in front of her listless body. The drivers remained in the cars, as the three passengers climbed out. Sydney's eyes were closed, but she could tell by the clanking and jingling that the men were well armed.

"Hey, ma'am?" One of the men spoke up as they approached her, no doubt with their weapons prepared. "Hey, are you alright?"

Sydney felt a toe nudge her in the stomach and she groaned in response. She flitted her eyes and then let them drop shut again. "Don't let them…they're going to…" She muttered random nonsense until one of the men shushed her.

"Ma'am, did someone do this to you?"

Sydney attempted to sit up but quickly dropped back down. "Please don't let them find me…"

"Is someone after you?"

"They were down there…they had guns…" Sydney let her hands start to shake as she clutched at the fake wound on her stomach, emphasized by the torn fabric of her dress.

The men acted as she expected and two of them took off at a run away from her, in the direction of the 'men' who supposedly attacked her. The third man stayed behind with her.

"Please, don't touch me…"

"Ma'am, I need to inspect your wounds. There could be something life-threatening…" The man commented as he leaned over her. Now the driver had climbed out of the car and joined them. Sydney assumed Allison had taken care of the others.

"I won't be hurt again…please don't hurt me…"

"We need to get this girl to a hospital."

"There's nothing we can do. You know what our job is! This stop has already put us behind schedule." The two men argued between themselves for a moment until the squeal of tires alerted them to a speedy getaway.

"All clear Julia. Pleasure doing business with you." Allison's cool voice over the earpiece hidden in Sydney's ear, made her flinch involuntarily. Sydney then realized that Allison had completed her assignment and had run off, without any intention of feeling Sydney in on what she had taken from the armored cars. _That's right don't bother filling me in. I'm nothing but the distraction. _She took a deep breath before bolting upright and disarming the agents who hovered over her.

They didn't even understand what was happening before they were flat on their back, moaning from their newly earned aches and pains, which she had generously bestowed upon them. Sydney cast them a briefly apologetic glance before retrieving the keys from the driver's pocket.

"Nothing personal guys," Sydney explained simply. "Really you just were in the wrong place at the wrong time." She emptied the bullets out of their guns and tossed the empty useless weapons into the car. "Thanks for caring enough to stop for me though, that was sweet." She pulled off her short black wig and released her shoulder-length blonde hair. She climbed in the car and turned on the ignition. "It's all in a days' work!" She told them, waving casually as she drove off down the road in the borrowed vehicle.

She stopped a couple miles further on down the road, where she had left her car, and ditched the armored vehicle. There was no need to let them track her easily.

Once she had driven her car back to the hotel, she took a long shower and allowed herself time to contemplate the frustrating confusion she felt with Allison for being left out of the loop. Sydney couldn't understand why the Covenant had sent her on a mission that they were barely even letting her be a part of.

After her shower, Sydney felt uncertain about how to proceed. She wasn't sure if the mission was complete or if she was supposed to do anything else before returning to Rome. _Damn the Covenant and their mysterious assignments._ Sydney glared pointedly at the blank television screen, which she was certain held a security camera. Without having a direction, Sydney chose to change dress in a pair of comfortable baggy pants and a tight tank top, deciding she would take the opportunity for simple relaxation, which was something she had been deprived of lately. Just as she started to get comfortable on the over-sized bed, however, a sharp knock on the door interrupted her.

She sighed and hurried to answer the door, wondering briefly if the security system had detected a hidden meaning in her sarcastic facial expressions. "Yes?" She greeted the man at the door. He was dressed in a modestly expensive charcoal-gray suit and had a stony expression to match.

"We are very pleased by your work Miss Thorne."

Sydney instantly switched into full-Julia mode and replied coolly. "I never doubted you would be."

"We have another assignment for you, if you are willing to accept." The man offered her an envelope as though suggesting that she had the option to deny it. She knew that as the assassin Julia Thorne, she should appear to have ultimate veto-authority on any of her missions, but as Sydney Bristow brainwashed into being Julia Thorne, she knew that she was the Covenant's lapdog.

She flipped open the folder and scanned it briefly. "Austria?"


	3. Austria Interference

A/N: _The reviews have been awesome and so encouraging! Thank you all so much for responding to this story! I was hesitant to attempt an Alias fic, but I'm glad I did and now I'm very excited to continue it! Every time I get a review it makes me want to go and write another chapter! _

**SneakyFound47:** _Thank you for your constructive review! I try to keep my spelling and grammatical errors to a minimum, but it's so hard to catch everything when I just want to keep on writing, you know? Anyway, I'm glad you decided to give this story a try! I hope you continue to enjoy it! _

_For everyone…**Sark**_…_will come soon! I just need to get out a couple of chapters of background for Sydney in order to bring Sark into it! But I promise he will be in very soon! _

_Thanks again for the reviews! Please continue!_

…………

Sydney flipped open the folder and scanned it briefly. "Austria?"

"Mr. Easton would have filled you in himself, but since you are supposed to leave tomorrow, there would be no time for you to return to Rome first." He explained curtly.

Sydney nodded. "Of course." She snapped the folder shut quickly. "Have my car ready tomorrow morning at eight o'clock. I will take the rest of the evening to prepare for the assignment."

He acknowledged her decision. "If you have any questions you may use the room phone. Dial 122. Though once you leave you are on your own."

"I usually am." She told him, reminding him exactly what sort of work Julia Thorne was used to. "May I ask though, will I be seeing Miss Doren again?"

"Not on this mission."

"Then we are finished with whatever it is we came here to do?"

"Yes. And as I said before, we are very pleased with your performance."

Sydney rolled her eyes. "I was the distraction."

"Need I remind you that adaptability is a very important quality in your line of work?"

"I am not complaining…simply saying that I am anxious for my next mission, and I do hope it will involve more exhilarating work on my part." Sydney explained carefully.

"I am certain that this job will not disappoint you." He turned and left her before she had a chance to ask any more questions.

She shut the door and returned to her bed, this time without the goal of relaxing, but rather with the homework of familiarizing herself with her new mission. _Hmm…Austria? It's been years since I've been there! _She started rifling through the documents that detailed all the important information she would need to succeed during this mission.

…………

_Work fast. Work well. Don't be seen. _Sydney repeated these directions over in her mind as she slipped in and out of the growing shadows along the outside wall of the twentieth floor of a ritzy hotel. She had dropped down from the rooftop and now balanced herself on the wide window ledges, tiptoeing along until she found her target's room.

"I do apologize, but Mr. Balton will be unable to see you this evening. His schedule is quite full as it is…"

Sydney paused just outside one of the windows as she heard a voice coming from inside. She cautiously peeked into the room and spotted a young man on a cell phone. He was clearly Mr. Balton's personal assistant. Then again, a high-ranking European political figure like Mr. Balton would likely have numerous personal assistants. She waited for him to end the phone call and evacuate the sitting room before she dared to slip past the window and move onto the next part of the suite, which was the bedroom. As she anticipated, an hour before the big party down in the hotel lobby, Mr. George Balton was in the bedroom being dressed-to-impress by three different stylists. She waited impatiently, becoming progressively nervous with her precarious position on the narrow ledge, but she tried to ignore the height and focus on the job before her.

"Sir, your 7:30 is here to see you." The young assistant announced and Sydney curiously peeked her head around to see who would be important enough for Mr. Balton to meet so soon before an important party.

"Very good, please send him in."

"Mr. Balton, I am Jacob Elton. It is so good of you to see me this evening! I am aware that you are on a very tight schedule and so I will try not to keep you for any longer than necessary…"

Sydney frowned, recognizing the voice, and desperate to see the face. But she remained well hidden, not wanting to risk being seen.

"You will forgive the informality of this meeting, I hope, but as you know I have a limited time to be ready for the party, so I will need to continue while we talk." Mr. Balton replied. "Please, leave us!"

Sydney was even more puzzled by the meeting now that Mr. Balton was dismissing his assistants. It must have been an important and private meeting to request privacy.

"Now, Mr. Elton, you called this meeting to discuss an artifact of mine that you were interested in purchasing, is that right?" Mr. Balton resumed the conversation.

Mr. Elton cleared his voice. "Yes, actually I do not have any particular interest in the artifact, though I believe there are others who do, and as it is, my employers must have it first."

"I do not understand." Mr. Balton declared.

"The item I am interested in has more than simply financial value. It is historic as well…does the name Milo Rambaldi mean anything to you?" Mr. Elton paused.

"Not at all." Mr. Balton admitted.

"Oh, then this is simply financial for you…but that is a tangent that we do not have time for. May I see the map please?"

Sydney rolled her eyes. _He would want the same thing that I'm after._ She knew that this would complicate her mission, because if Mr. Balton sold Mr. Elton the map then she would not be able to simple steal it from the room. Instead she'd have to plan an alternate mission to steal it from Mr. Elton. And he undoubtedly had back up in order to acquire an artifact of such significance. Sydney finally dared to glance into the room, determined to retrieve the item before the man inside die, whoever he was…_Oh my god._ She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping for a moment that what she had seen wasn't real. But when she opened her eyes she knew it wasn't imagined. _Well, here goes nothing. Please don't hate me Eric! _Sydney covered her face with a black mask and silently slipped into the bedroom, with her pistol raised.

"Make a move and you'll be dead." Sydney warned quietly. She stepped close to Mr. Balton, trying not to get too close to Eric Weiss, who was carefully watching her every move. "I'm here to collect what I came for and then I'll be out of your way, and allow you gentlemen to return to your business. There's no need to make this hard for anyone." She was especially careful to keep her accent strong so as not to tip off Weiss. She turned to him and motioned for him to stand. Eric obediently stood and allowed Sydney to pat him down for weapons. She removed a gun from his inside jacket pocket and holstered it at her hip.

"You were carrying a weapon?" Mr. Balton frowned at Weiss.

"A man has a right to protect himself."

"Well, you did a dandy job of that I must say." Mr. Balton declared sarcastically.

"Quiet please." Sydney hissed. She took a pair of handcuffs from her waist belt and quickly secured Weiss' hands while aiming her gun at Mr. Balton. "Now tell me where the map is and I will be out of here."

"You're here for the map too?" Mr. Balton frowned. "What is so great about this map?"

"That is something you would never understand." Sydney told him simply. "Now, where is it?"

He started backing up slowly, holding his hands out for her to see. "I keep it in the safe." Before he had taken another step, the bedroom doors burst open and five men dressed in black and well armed crowded into the room.

Out of instinct, Sydney shot her gun, sending a bullet through the shoulder of one of the newcomers. He fell to the ground, holding his shoulder in pain. Instead of aiming at Sydney, however, the four other men kept their guns aimed at Mr. Balton and Weiss.

"Thorne!" One of the men in black exclaimed. "We're on your side!"

Sydney frowned. "What do you mean you're on my side?" She pulled the other gun from her holster and cocked it quickly, keeping it aimed at the strangers. "I work alone."

"We're not here to get in your way Miss Thorne. You do your job and let us do ours." Another one of the men quickly put his gun away and moved towards Weiss.

"What are you doing?" Sydney demanded.

"Don't worry about us. Just get what you came for and get out." One of the men told her quickly. "We took care of the three guards out front but there'll be more on the way soon, no doubt. You'd better hurry." He helped the wounded man to stand and started out of the room.

"Thank you for making our job so easy! He's all handcuffed and ready to go!" Two of the men grabbed hold of Weiss and started dragging him from the room. He, of course, was not willing to go easily.

"What are you doing? What do you want from me! You have me confused with someone! I'm just an assistant, sent to buy something for my employer…"

The man bringing up the rear hit Weiss hard in the back of his skull, with the butt of his gun, knocking him out immediately. He nodded to Sydney, signaling her to hurry up with her own job and as quickly as they had come, the men in black were gone.

"Umm, right, the map?" She turned back to Mr. Balton who had been watching the whole display as though he were hypnotized. Now he gulped noticeably and started opening the safe with trembling hands.

"Please, do not kill me…" He begged as nervous tears started pouring from his eyes.

"I don't kill without a reason, Mr. Balton." Sydney informed him. She held out her hand and he quickly handed over the map she had come for. She checked it briefly before securing it in the inside pocket of her jacket. "Thank you. It was a pleasure doing business with you." She swung her arm around and connected with his head hard, knocking him unconscious to the ground. _Sorry, but I couldn't afford you sending people after me. _She started towards the front door, intending to escape easily, but the sound of a dozen feet running down the hallway towards Mr. Balton's suite, alerted her to the rest of his guard and she instantly retreated to the window. She climbed out onto the ledge and fastened a cord to the clamp on her belt, and fastened the other end to a metal bar that jutted out from the window. _Three. Two. One. _And she jumped off the window ledge, free-falling down twenty floors until the bungee cord stopped her only a couple of feet above the pavement in the alleyway behind the hotel.

_Right, nothing to it._ Sydney unhooked herself and dropped the rest of the way to the ground. She quickly removed her black mask and gloves ditching them in one of the dumpsters that lined the alley. Then she unzipped her skin-tight jacket, revealing the top of her lacy bra. She let her hair swing free from its ponytail and casually strutted out of the alley, easily blending into the crowded sidewalks and quickly putting distance between herself and the hotel.

…………

"Miss Thorne, I need an explanation from you!" Marti demanded the instant that Sydney took her seat at the café the Saturday morning she returned to Rome.

"Yes?" Sydney held onto her purse, which carried the map.

"You shot one of our men!" He erupted, though in a surprisingly controlled voice. She decided that the sort of self-control that Marti possessed was something that one had to be born with. It was the talent of shouting without actually using volume.

"I didn't know who he was!" She defended herself. "And while we're on the subject, what the hell was the Covenant doing, sending someone in to what? Baby-sit me?"

"Hardly." Marti stated. He held her in a firm stare. "Those men were given their assignment, and you were given yours."

"They got in my way." Sydney insisted. "You're lucky I didn't kill one of them."

"No, you're lucky you didn't kill one of them. I doubt the Covenant would have looked on that very passively."

"When I am on the job I do not hesitate when someone interferes. They interfered." She explained. "If the Covenant wanted to send other agents out to Austria, they needn't have bothered to send me."

"Like I said, they had their job, and you had yours."

"What did they want with that man anyway?" Sydney asked, suddenly changing the subject.

"I don't think that really concerns you, Miss Thorne."

She shook her head. "Do not for a second think you can play me on this one, Marti. The Covenant used me as bait. Their goal was to get this man and they used my mission to do it. Tell me what they wanted him for."

"Leverage." Marti said simply. "They want something from the CIA and now they have something that the CIA wants."

"That man is CIA?" Sydney put on her best 'surprise' expression.

Marti nodded.

Sydney frowned. "So they're going to make a trade with CIA?"

"I have told you more than you need to know, Miss Thorne." Marti stood suddenly. "May I have the map, please?"

Sydney pulled a brown paper bag from her purse and handed it over to Marti. "Do I have a new assignment?"

"It depends." Marti told her. He opened the bag and glanced at the map. "Yes, this is very good. I will have Derek bring you any supplies you will need. You will be leaving tomorrow afternoon for Algeria."

"Algeria?" Sydney frowned. "What's there?"

"You mean 'who' is there." Marti handed her a folder of information. "His name is Simon Walker."


	4. Simon Walker's Defeat

_A/N: Thanks again for all the reviews! I know this chapter took a bit longer to get out, but I have part of the next one written as well, so I'll probably get it up in the next couple of days. It was my sister's birthday weekend, so it was pretty hectic! But now I have a full week of practically nothing important to do, which means lots and lots of writing! Yay! Anyway, thanks for enjoying my story, and I know it's taken a while to get Sark into it, but I promise he is in the next chapter! I already have that part written! This was the last one I needed to set it up! I'm not entirely happy with the way I set up the Sydney/Simon meeting, but the show didn't give too much information about Algeria, so I just sort of had to make up a scenario that could be believable. I hope it worked! Anyway, as always, please review! Thanks! _

**SneakyFound47:** _Thanks for the suggestion, the idea of a beta sounds great! I've written a few fanfiction pieces but I've never had a beta before. How do you go about getting one? _

…………………….

After four hours of memorizing all the details, Sydney understood that this mission was also not going to be a simple assassination. She was going to Algeria in order to obtain, what seemed to be an employee of sorts. His name was Simon Walker, he was an experienced thief for hire, and her first goal was to convince him that she was worthy to be a part of his team. How she did that was up to her imagination, but the file that the Covenant had pulled together on Simon gave Sydney enough information to decide her course of action. Once she had convinced him that she was worthy, she had been given orders to offer him a job with the Covenant. From there the specifics had not yet been given.

She quickly plotted her infiltration into Simon's hotel room where he was staying in Algeria for a party that he planned on attending. She decided that finding a way into his room and stealing something of importance would be good enough to prove her worth because one of his main prides was the quality of his security. In this case, she decided that his pride alone would be good enough for her to take away. Sydney planned to prove that no security could keep her out.

Derek had arrived at her flat a couple of hours after her meeting with Marti and he had brought multiple suitcases full of weapons and other accessories for her to sort through.

"Julia, please take whatever you need." Derek told her as she started surveying all of the supplies. "They've told me that this is your op to do with what you want."

She smirked. "I do enjoy using my imagination." Sydney wandered over to the table where he had laid out numerous weapons. She started inspecting the handguns. "Which of these is best to shoot darts?"

"Tranquilizers?" He frowned, clearly not understanding why an assassin such as herself wouldn't want bullets.

"I'm not on assignment to kill this time." She explained simply.

He nodded. "Right, of course…" And he handed her a small black gun. "This would be the best."

"Thanks." She took it and slipped it into the waistline of her pants. "I'm going to need a dagger. Preferably one that is thin enough to hide in lingerie."

His eyes widened at her request but quickly set to work finding her the perfect weapon. While he took care of that she began inspecting the array of disguises. She briefly considered a shoulder-length scarlet red wig, but then decided that her best disguise would in fact be Julia Thorne. She would embrace her new identity to its fullest.

"Here you are Julia." Derek grinned mischievously. "Would you like to try on some lingerie to make sure it works…"

Sydney accepted the small blade from the young man and inspected it. It was just about two inches long and slender enough to be barely felt against her skin. She slipped it into its protective case and offered him a cold stare. "It'll work fine for the man that I will be visiting." Derek looked jealous. "You can leave now."

"Don't you need a disguise, Julia?" He asked her as he started to pack up.

"I've already got one." She closed herself in her bedroom, waiting for him to leave.

…………

Her first impression of Simon Walker when he glanced up at her from his stool at the bar was that he was attractive. In fact, at first glance, there was nothing unattractive about him. There was something about him that was so different than other men she worked with. He had dark hair, styled into a shortly cropped Mohawk, and dark green eyes that shot daggers with their fiery scowl. He had strong cheekbones and a firmly set jaw, accentuated by seductively pouting lips. He wasn't casual like Will, or responsible like Vaughn…there was something reckless about him that intrigued Sydney. She hesitated as the thoughts darted into her mind. _Why am I analyzing him like this? He is just an assignment. I'm not supposed to wonder _what _his personality is like…_she quickly tried to shut out all comparative thoughts in her mind and tried to exude her Julia attributes.

"Is this seat taken?" She asked him, motioning to the empty barstool beside him, and keeping her perfect English accent intact.

He barely glanced at her before shaking his head. "Be my guest."

She raised an eyebrow at his accent. It matched his appearance perfectly, British **can anyone tell me what Simon's accent is? I think I have it wrong **, but with an enchanting hint of cockney. She slipped onto the seat and caught the bartender's attention immediately.

"Martini, dry, two olives." She ordered her drink and checked her appearance in her compact as she waited for Simon to pay attention to her. She had straightened her blonde hair but pinned it up so her shoulders and neck were bare, down to the strapless black silk dress she was wearing. She knew that it flattered her perfectly, mainly from the fact that she hadn't failed to catch the eye of any man at the party yet that night, except for the one man she was interested in. She had wanted to wait and let him turn to her of his own accord, but she decided that she wasn't in the mood to be patient. "If this party did not provide an open bar I do not believe it would managed to keep my interest."

He turned to her and stared at her for a moment just to take her in, it seemed. Finally he spoke. "No, I don't imagine it would keep mine either."

Now it was her turn to act oblivious. She acknowledged his response with a slight smile and then turned back to the bartender as he delivered her drink. She stirred it slowly with the olives, completely ignoring the man who was now staring at her profile.

"I beg your pardon, but I don't believe I've seen you before." Simon told her. "Do you often come to these sort of parties?"

Sydney glanced at him and shrugged. "Often enough."

He gave her a half-grin, which revealed barely crooked white teeth. It just added to his entire appeal. "Who're you here with?"

"Myself." She answered in a steady tone.

"Oh?" His interest was heightening. She decided to play with his curiosity a bit and make herself a challenge. No man could obtain Julia Thorne that easily.

"It's been a nice chat, but I'm not one for small talk." She grasped her drink and drifted away from the bar. When she reached the edge of the dance floor she glanced back towards him briefly and was pleased to see that his eyes were fixed on her. She turned her back on him and pretended to be interested in the dancers waltzing around the floor. It took less than sixty seconds for him to catch up to her.

"I'm not typically one for chatter either." He whispered into her ear. She didn't look at him but the way she pressed her body just slightly against his encouraged him to continue. "I come to these parties for business, and I feel that there is a significant lack of pleasure involved…"

She knew he was closer to falling into her trap. "Is that so?"

"If all these people weren't here now I'd do things to you that no other man would be able to comprehend." Simon's voice seemed to purr in her ear.

"You are confident in yourself, aren't you?"

"I have every reason to be." He grinned. "Give me a chance to show you."

"Why should I?" She asked him.

"You said this party bored you, sweetheart."

"And how do I know you would be any better?"

He looked offended for a brief instant and then he shrugged. "Take me to your room and I'll prove it to you."

She smiled at him maliciously and shook her head. "We can't go to my room. My wouldn't want my boyfriend hanging about."

"Your boyfriend?" He frowned.

"He bored me too." She explained. "I am not entertained by simple things." She brought the speared olives up to her mouth and wrapped her tongue around the first one, sliding it off the stick slowly.

His eyes stared, captivated by her graceful seductions. "Shall we go to my room?"

"If you think it will be worth my time." Sydney almost acted bored at the prospect of spending the night with him. She slipped the other olive into her mouth.

"I promise not to disappoint you…" He placed his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her towards him for a deep kiss. She didn't even feel the desire to fight him and instead found herself relaxing into his control. His tongue parted her lips and expertly darted into her mouth, wrapping around the whole olive and pulling it into his mouth. He broke the kiss and released her, letting her attempt for a moment to compose herself.

_Come on Sydney! Stay professional! _She rebuked herself as she started panting slightly in response to his passionate kiss. She watched him swallow the olive and let a slow smile creep over her full lips.

"I'm curious as to why we are still standing here with all these people…" She told him.

He grinned and immediately anchored his arm around her waist, guiding her out of the party and up to the twenty-first floor of the hotel. "So, do we bother with names or is the mysterious identity part of the scandalous appeal?"

Sydney pondered for a minute then answered him with a long kiss. When she finally pulled away he pulled her right back for another one. They didn't break their tongue-tango until the elevator chimed for his floor and then it was only broken long enough for him to fish the room key out of his jacket pocket and open the door to his suite.

"You don't have a girlfriend waiting up for you, do you?" Sydney asked breathily as he fumbled for the zipper on the back of her dress.

"Of course not! Would I be bringing you up here if another woman were hanging about?" He nuzzled his nose against her neck and started nibbling at the sensitive skin between her collarbone and neck. "I'm not completely daft!"

Sydney giggled as his lips tickled all over her skin, traipsing down her shoulder and around to her back. She quickly began unfastening his pants, as he staggered with her into the bedroom.

"Did you notice the rather bulky men standing around in the sitting room?" Sydney asked innocently as she let Simon pull her onto the bed and attempt to remove her dress.

"Never mind them sweetheart, they're just for security purposes."

"What sort of business do you do exactly?" She laughed, finally managing to wrestle off his shirt.

"_Dangerous_ business!" He drawled, brushing her hair away from her shining brown eyes and pulling her down for another deep kiss.

"So, are you a bad man?" Sydney teased, nibbling at his ear. She ran her nails down his chest and he groaned, tightening his arms around her.

"The baddest!" He mumbled into her hair, inhaling her sweetly perfumed scent. She pulled away from him suddenly and stood up on the bed, staring down at him. "What're you doing?" He whined reaching out to pull her back down.

She stepped out of his reach and smiled mischievously. "I'm still not certain that you deserve me!" She reached around behind her and finished the unzipping job that he had abandoned earlier. "Men back home would give anything to be in your position at this moment." She balanced carefully on one foot while holding the other out to him. He eagerly slid off her simple stiletto healed shoe. She switched feet and he did the same with the other foot, tossing both the shoes to the ground. "You must understand that I do not tend to sleep with random men…"

"Then I consider myself honored! But please can we get on with it!" Simon begged, trying to reach out to her again.

She raised an eyebrow and slowly started sliding her dress down the length of her slender body. He watched with captivated interest as the dress dropped to her ankles and she stepped out of it, now standing before him in her strategically planned black lace corset and garter styled lingerie.

"You are so beautiful!" He gasped, taking in her length slowly with his eyes.

"Thank you." She didn't express emotion. She took it plainly as though she had heard it a hundred times before, which actually she had. She slid her hands to the front of her corset and started toying with the ribbon that held it together. Then she stopped. "Actually, I think this could be much more interesting if we had something to drink…"

Simon seemed frustrated that she was taking so long but as he watched her slid her hands over her body and up through her hair he realized that he couldn't deny her anything. "Yea, drinks would be good." He moved as if to retrieve them, but she stopped him with her foot.

"Let me." She smiled at him sweetly. "Your bodyguards won't hurt me, will they?"

He grinned. "A pretty little thing like you? Nah, they'll just admire and wish they were me."

She winked, "Well, I'll try to give them a good show then."

"Don't keep me waiting too long!" He stretched out on the bed and watched her step down to the ground and strut out of the room, backwards, keeping eye contact with him the whole time.

The moment she was around the corner, she withdrew the small tranquilizer gun from its holster fixed into the back of her corset. She held it at her side, hiding it just behind her leg, and wandered casually out into the front room where Simon's three security men were posted (one by the door, one by the window, and one sitting on the couch).

They jumped to attention when they noticed her. "Don't get up for my sake boys. I'm just here for some refreshments." She knew that her scandalous attire was keeping them distracted as she had anticipated and before they even had a chance to realize what she was doing, she had shot the first two perfectly in the neck with the tranquilizer darts. The third ducked out of the way and lunged at her but she gracefully slipped beneath his arm and landed a firm jump-kick at his stomach, sending him sprawling backward into the wall. She elbowed him hard in the nose, but before he had a chance to shout she had shot him in the chest and he sunk to the ground, unconscious. She smirked at how easy it was and quickly located a bottle of vodka to bring back to the bedroom.

"They didn't give you any trouble did they?" Simon asked as she entered the room.

Sydney shook her head. "They were complete gentlemen." She held up the bottle and climbed back onto the bed. "Now how about that good time you promised me?"

He grinned wickedly and opened the bottle eagerly, taking a long drink before offering it to her. She took it and tipped the bottle slightly so it spilled onto his bare chest. She leaned forward and licked it off as he moaned with pleasure.

"I thought I was supposed to be proving something to you…" he exclaimed as she let her teeth graze across his chest.

"I can't help it. I like being in charge."

"No complaints here!" He complied.

"Very good." She lifted her leg over him so she was straddling him, more or less holding him down. She spread his arms out above his head, letting her fingers tickle his palms as she leaned down for a kiss. "Stay still!" She ordered, bringing her hands back to her corset. He obliged and left his arms outstretched. She pinched the edge of the ribbon and grinned at him. "Close your eyes…" She whispered, and he quickly did as he was told. _What an idiot! _She tried hard not to laugh as she withdrew her small dagger from its hiding place in her corset. "I don't think my job has ever been this easy!" She exclaimed with a sigh as she pressed the flat part of the blade against his neck.

His eyes opened and stretched wide as he realized what she was doing. "Bloody hell!" He moved to grab her arms but she pressed harder, just barely slicing his skin.

"I wouldn't move if I were in your position, Mr. Walker." She smiled at him and saw the clear confusion on his face when she used his name. She kept one hand positioned with the knife at his neck and used her free hand to pull the belt free from his pants. "There is also no need for you to bother calling for your bodyguards, as they are all currently sleeping quite soundly in the other room." She brought his hands together and tied them securely together with his leather belt.

"How in the world…"

She shrugged. "Your security really is quite ridiculous. It was a breeze taking them out." Sydney squeezed her knees together slightly against his hips. "You really are lucky that all the girls you meet aren't as _dangerous_ as I am."

"You crazy lying bitch!"

"Now, now," Sydney frowned. "I prefer beautiful devious assassin."

"Assassin?" Simon's eyes widened even farther. "Who wants me dead?"

"While I'm quite certain there are quite a few who would willingly fill that position, at this time I am not actually here to kill you." She smiled. "I'm here to offer you a job!"

"Excuse me?" He almost looked amused.

"My employers have requested that I come here to persuade you to work for them." She explained.

"Is that so?"

"Well, they knew you wouldn't even consider their offer unless you were convinced that we were worthy." She motioned to the position he was in. "I think I have proven myself."

He raised his eyebrows as he felt the blade pressing harder against his skin. "It would appear so." He moved slightly and she stopped him quickly. "Hey, look sweetheart, I surrender. You've proved your point. Quite literally." She slowly pulled the blade away and allowed him to sit up. "So, what's the job?"

She shrugged. "They haven't told me yet. I was simply told to come here and acquire your cooperation. You will be contacted soon with the details I imagine."

"So what do we do until then?"

She slipped off the bed and retrieved her handbag from where it had been dropped on the floor. She withdrew two pairs of handcuffs and held them up.

"Really? I didn't imagine you'd be into these sort of games!" He grinned as she crawled back onto the bed, straddling him once again. She removed the belt from his wrists and quickly shackled his wrists to the bedposts.

She frowned. "Really Mr. Walker, I am a professional."

"A professional at what exactly?" He grinned as she leaned down towards him.

But instead of kissing him as he had expected, she whispered into his year. "A professional at everything." She sat up quickly and removed herself from the bed. "Particularly at my work." She informed him as she began to redress herself.

"Wait, what are you doing?" He started struggling against his shackles.

"You really are too easy, Mr. Walker. In the future I believe it would benefit you to be more guarded with your…body." Sydney smirked as she stepped into her shoes. "Oh, I almost forgot…" She pulled the small key to the handcuffs out of her purse and placed it carefully in between his lips. "Try not to swallow it." She kissed him on the forehead. "Your men should be waking up in about seven minutes. I am sure they will be anxious to help you out of your chains, and then you may explain to them why exactly they were taken out by a 'pretty little thing' like me." Simon grunted, trying hard not to loose the key in his mouth, as she headed towards the door. "We will be in contact, Mr. Walker." She blew him a kiss. "Oh, and just for your information, my name is Julia Thorne."

…………

"Wait, you want me to partner with him?" Sydney exclaimed angrily as Marti passed on her latest assignment from the Covenant.

"They were pleased with your performance in Algeria, Miss Thorne, and they believe that you would be the best at filling this position." Marti explained, taking a nonchalant sip of his mimosa.

"So I am being punished for doing my job well?" Sydney pouted. "I do not want a partner!"

Marti frowned at her. "Are you refusing the job, Miss Thorne?"

Sydney briefly considered doing just that, but then she thought better of it. She knew that whatever this job was it would be of high importance to the Covenant if they took such an effort in securing Simon's partnership. She gave Marti an icy stare. "When and where?"

"How about here and now?" A familiar voice spoke up from behind. Sydney turned around in her seat and spotted Simon strutting towards them. "I bet you didn't fancy seeing me again. Especially not after tying me up and leaving me to my humiliating fate…"

"Well, you said it yourself. I am a crazy bitch." She smirked at him. "I see you got free well enough though."

"Yes I did, though explaining it to the boys was every bit as enjoyable as _you_ might have anticipated." Simon sat at the empty chair beside Sydney.

"Well I am always thinking of others."

"Alright you two, knock off your banter for a few minutes so I can explain your assignment." Marti demanded. The two looked at him with slightly apologetic smiles. "Miss Thorne I know you have been briefed on the basics of Milo Rambaldi."

Sydney tried not to react more than would be natural for Julia who had been told very simple information since she had first started working for the Covenant. She simply nodded and waited for Marti to continue.

"Mr. Walker, I do not know if you have ever had involvement with any of his artifacts, though they do tend to fetch a high price on the market…" Marti continued. Simon looked thoughtful but didn't answer. "As it is, there seems to be a particular item that the Covenant has an interest in. The only problem is, there are also many others who have interest in it, and the interesting thing is, nobody knows where this artifact is."

Sydney frowned. "Explain please."

"It's hidden. It has been for nearly five hundred years." Marti expanded. "Now, the Covenant has a few leads and they believe that if the two of you work together you may be able to locate it within a reasonable amount of time."

"How long?" Sydney asked.

"A few months." Marti stated.

"A few months?" Sydney glanced at Simon regretfully. "We'll be partnering then for that long?"

"You will be partnering for as long as it takes." Marti agreed. "You agreed to take the job Miss Thorne. You are not reconsidering are you?"

Sydney nodded. "Of course not. You know I am always ready for a challenge."

"Am I a challenge for you, sweetheart?" Simon grinned.

"I think I have already proved that you are hardly a challenge." She returned his arrogant smirk. "I only hope you can manage to keep up with me." She stood. "Are we finished here Marti?"

He nodded. "Here's all the information that the Covenant has gathered so far. Read through it and see what you can make of it, and follow whatever leads you find." He handed Sydney a thick folder. "Try to enjoy yourselves."

Simon took the folder from Sydney and stood as well. "Thank you mate, I'm sure we won't have any trouble with that." He slid his arm around Sydney's waist.

Reacting quickly, she grabbed his wrist and bent his arm backwards until it was pulling so tightly he wanted to scream. "Touch me again and I break your arm."

He nodded fervently. "I understand!"

"Do you really, Mr. Walker?" She pressed, pulling his arm just a bit harder. His eyes watered in pain. "Because I have a feeling that you are the sort of man who doesn't learn his lessons very easily."

"I understand Miss Thorne!" He insisted. "I swear! I'll keep my hands to myself!" She released him. "That is, until you ask me differently…" He smirked cockily, rubbing his sore arm, and jumped out of her reach as she tried to grab the folder from him. "We really must work on this feisty behavior of yours. It will never do. Except for in the bedroom of course." He started walking away and she hurried after him, still trying to take the folder from him. "And you need to stop being so touchy. You act like I won't share with you and that hurts my feelings sweetheart."

"Stop calling me sweetheart." She growled.

"Well, then what should I call you? Miss Thorne will hardly do for all the time we will be spending together! What about doll face, or buttercup?"

"You may call me Julia." She stated firmly. "Nothing else."

"Why are you so difficult Julia? I know you're going to warm up to me eventually." Simon decided. He handed her the folder. "We can discuss plans for this assignment tonight. I'll meet you at your flat for dinner around eight o'clock?"

"How do you know where I live?"

"I've checked up on you since the last time we met. I didn't want to be caught with my pants down again…unless you would prefer it that way." He winked.

"Eight o'clock will be fine." She gave in bitterly, realizing that she would have to get used to him, since they would be working together for quite a while. "But don't expect me to cook."

"You? Cook? I wouldn't dream of it Jules." Simon grinned and headed away from her.

"It's Julia." She called after him as he increased the distance between them. He didn't respond. _He is going to be exhausting! _

…………

"How was your mission in Algeria?"

"Kendall, don't screw around with me!" Sydney nearly screamed at the director when they met at the safe house. "What is going on with Weiss? It's been almost a whole week and I haven't heard anything yet! Do we even know if he's alive?"

Kendall sighed and motioned for her to take a seat, realizing he wouldn't get anywhere with her until he let her have her way. "The CIA has been contacted by the Covenant. They have begun negotiations for Agent Weiss's safe return."

Sydney frowned. "What is the Covenant asking for?"

"The release of a prisoner."

"Which one?"

"Sark."

Sydney dropped into the armchair behind her. "What does the covenant want with Sark?"

"We have no idea, but it can't be good."

"You'll keep me updated right? Let me know what happens to Weiss…" Sydney hated herself for even considering Weiss not being rescued.

"I promise you'll know as soon as we have anything new to report." Kendall offered her a slight smile. "Now, tell me about Algeria. What came of it?"

"I have a partner."


	5. Change in the Game Plan

"Simon, go! You have got to get yourself out of here!" Sydney shouted with a raspy voice as she tried to catch her breath.

"But what about you?"

"I'll figure a way out. I always do!" She reminded him. "If you stay here they'll catch us both."

Simon actually seemed to briefly consider the consequences if he stayed to help Sydney but then just as quickly he nodded and started away. "You'll get out of this Jules! I know you will!"

"Thanks for the confidence," she took a deep breath and tried not to think about the sharp pain shooting through her leg that was trapped beneath the heavy steal door that had shut on her while she and Simon had tried to escape from a warehouse.

It had been three weeks since Simon and Julia had begun their partnership for the Covenant's agenda. In that time they had traveled to dozens of countries, following dozens of leads, but each one had turned out being a dead-end.

He had so far been respectful of her wishes to keep their partnership professional, even though he had not given up his irritating pet names, or his cocky confidence. But he had proved his excellent business mentality and had ended up being a rather enjoyable and helpful partner for her to work with.

This particular mission had, however, so far gone substantially worse than any of the others. Their lead had taken them to a secure warehouse on the outskirts of Madrid, and for the first time they were able to recover some information regarding the location of the Rambaldi artifact. Unfortunately, during their escape, an alarm was somehow triggered and the steal doors slammed shut. Simon managed to squeeze out but when Sydney tried darting beneath the door, it caught her leg and now she was trapped and alone, after having sent Simon on with the information they had gathered. Of course, some part of her had hoped that Simon would refuse to abandon her, but she should have known that his priority was himself.

Muffled shouting in the distance, informed Sydney that security was very close to discovering her. She wasn't sure how she would talk her way out of this situation, so she decided the only way to get out clean was to disappear before they arrived. Taking another deep breath, she pulled herself up to a sitting position using her stomach muscles to stay up, and hurriedly began unfastening the laces on her boots. Her entire body was trembling from the pain but she forced herself to stay focused and she managed to slide her foot out of the shoe and out from beneath the door. The shouting grew louder and she quickly stood, biting her lip against the pain from putting weight on her foot, which she estimated had been sprained if not broken. Sydney snatched her shoe out from beneath the door and took off at a wobbly run, trying to bear the pain long enough to put a good distance between herself and the warehouse.

"Julia!"

Sydney stared in shock as Simon pulled up in front of her in their getaway SUV. "Simon? What are you doing here? I told you to get away!"

"And leave you here to be killed? Unlikely!" He leaned across the passenger seat and opened the door for her. "Hurry up and get in! Security's not far behind you!"

Sydney tried to hide the smile that was forming as she climbed into the car, favoring her ankle carefully. "Thank you."

"We're partners Jules, whether or not you ever choose to accept it!" Simon gave her a sideways grin. "I'm not going to leave you hangin'!"

She smiled at him and leaned over to peck him on the cheek. "Perhaps the partnership could work after all." Sydney reconsidered her phrasing briefly. "Just as long as you can remember to keep your hands to yourself."

…………

"Bloody hell! Can't you read? I've got the privacy sign on the door!" Simon bellowed in response to the knock on his hotel suite door. He marched over to it and swung the door open angrily. "Oh, Jules, it's you…"

Three weeks had passed since his last mission with Julia. They had agreed to take some time to rest, in order for Sydney's leg to heal fully. But now they were on the move again, following the leads they had recovered that day in the warehouse.

Sydney stood in the hallway, her hands behind her back, and her sophisticated black jacket slipping dangerously off one shoulder. "I have a new assignment from the Covenant." She told him in a soft voice. "I will be leaving in the morning, without you."

Simon frowned. "But you'll be coming back."

She shrugged. "They haven't said for certain."

"But we never found what they wanted! They can't just pull you off the job now!" He argued. "I need you…"

"No, you _want_ me. There's a difference." She smiled. "But I suppose it's nice to be wanted all the same." She pulled her hands out from behind her back and held out a bottle of vodka and two shot glasses. "I thought it would be an appropriate way to say goodbye."

A grin broke out across his handsome face and he opened the door wider, welcoming her into the room. "Now, I was once told to be more guarded with my body. And I'm not sure if inviting a beautiful assassin into my hotel room would be the wisest idea I've ever made…"

"Since when have you ever made wise decisions, Simon?" Sydney shut the door after she entered and led the way over to the bed, climbing onto it and sitting with her knees tucked beneath her.

He hesitated before moving over to the bed. "What's changed, Jules? Yesterday I thought you were going to slap me for calling you 'baby' and now you're sitting on my bed with a rather inviting bottle of alcohol in your hand…"

"Well, it's a girl's prerogative to change her mind." Sydney shrugged. "Of course, if you'd rather I leave and let things return to how they were yesterday, then just tell me so and I'll be on my way…"

Simon shook his head. "Not at all. You know I've been waiting weeks for you to warm up to me!" He climbed onto the bed and moved towards her. "I just don't understand what brought it about."

"Does everything have to make sense, Simon?" Sydney asked, with a slightly resentful tone in her voice. She opened the bottle of vodka and took a long drink. "I'm tired of being alone." She told him. "Are you going to make me happy or not?"

He took the bottle from her hands and wrapped his arm around her neck pulling her close for a kiss. "I've just been waiting for your permission, sweetheart."

"Well, now you have it." She mumbled into his mouth as he eagerly began to remove her clothing.

…………

Two hours earlier.

…………

"So you have arranged everything with Andrian Lazarey?" Kendall clarified with Sydney as she sat before him in the safe house where they arranged to meet, a few miles from the hotel where she was staying with Simon in Russia.

"Yep. And we're all set for tomorrow." Sydney informed him. She had just returned from completing a side mission with the CIA, which involved her making contact with a man that the Covenant had intended for her to kill the following day. "I'm going to his office as the Covenant has arranged and I will pull out my knife and go to slit his throat, but he'll be prepared with a blood sack to place over his neck as soon as I move away. That way the Covenant security who will be watching on cameras will think that I have successfully killed him, and then the CIA will come in as paramedics and take Lazarey out to the ambulance and away from here."

"Perfect." Kendall announced, smiling at her. "And then we will meet you at the safe house in Rome."

"Sounds good." She picked up something more in Kendall's expression then what he was saying. "Anything else?"

"Agent Weiss was returned yesterday." He informed her.

"Eric? Is he okay?" Sydney demanded quickly. "I had almost given up on him! Why have the negotiations taken so long?"

"He's fine. A little banged up, but actually he said they kept him quite comfortable." Kendall told her. "They finally completed the trade."

"And?"

"The CIA of course tried to make the trade without actually having to lose Sark."

"The Covenant is not a group to be tricked?"

Kendall paused. "Which the CIA quickly learned. Anyway, they have Sark now. He's a free man"

She frowned. "What would the Covenant want with Sark?"

"We have no idea. But I will keep you updated if I get any clues."

She nodded. "I'll keep my ears open. Maybe Marti will slip up again." She smiled but she noticed that Kendall was still too silent. "You're still hiding something more from me."

"It's nothing." He said too quickly.

"Kendall, I've known you for over a year now, and you should know how trained I am at reading people." Sydney prodded. "What are you keeping from me?"

He cleared his throat and his eyes connected with her. "Agent Vaughn was married today."

…………

"Mr. Sark, I am McKennas Cole." He grinned. "But you already knew that, of course! I'm sure you have questions, and hopefully, in time, I will be able to answer them for you." Cole gave another cocky grin and sat down at a table opposite Julian Sark. "By the way, you're hair! That's cool!"

Sark cleared his throat. "Mr. Cole, I do have many questions, and I truly doubt that you would ever be able to answer them all, but for the time being let me pose my most pressing question to you." He moved his wrists slightly, letting the chains of his handcuffs jingle together. "Why am I chained to a sodding chair?"

Cole smiled calmly. "Your reputation precedes you, Mr. Sark, and we simply wanted to play it safe. After all, you've been in CIA custody for almost a year. You might have pent up violence waiting to explode or something…"

"I assure you my temper is in perfect condition. I am grateful to you for arranging my freedom, though I imagine it was not done without some expense to me."

"Well, what's a little expense to the heir of eight hundred million dollars?"

"I beg your pardon?" Sark sat up a little straighter.

Cole set a photograph in front of Sark. "I assume you recognize this man."

Sark analyzed the picture for a moment and then nodded. "Andrian Lazarey."

"A man, who until yesterday, was your father." Cole stated.

Sark looked a little surprised that anyone knew of their relation but nodded. "What do you mean _until yesterday_?"

"Yesterday, Mr. Sark, your father was murdered." Cole explained. "Leaving you with an inheritance of eight hundred million dollars."

Sark's face revealed his surprise.

"Which you clearly had no knowledge of."

"Not in the least." Sark agreed.

"Well, regardless, now you're wealthy, and we would like to make use of your new found fortune." Cole stated bluntly.

"And who exactly are you?"

"We are the Covenant. The new big bad giving the CIA a headache." He grinned. "Interested?"

Sark looked at Cole with an expressionless face. "I am going to make an assumption here, since you took it upon yourselves to have me released from CIA custody, my cooperation is not really a matter of choice in the situation, is it?"

"You are smart." Cole nodded. "And you know enough not to take bullshit from the man. I like that in a person."

Sark didn't react. "However, before I agree to this arrangement, I will need substantial proof that my father is in fact dead."

"I'm not sure why would we lie to you about something like that, but, since you requested it, and we do actually happen to have it…" Cole motioned to a television at the other side of the room and pressed play on a prepared video. "This is surveillance from your dad's office, showing his murder and the one who murdered him."

Sark watched as a blonde woman entered the room and greeted his father cordially. Then when his father crossed to the other side of the room, the woman turned around revealing her face. He frowned. _That is impossible._ The next second in the video showed the woman approaching Lazarey from behind and withdrawing a knife from her jacket. She reached around his neck and slit his throat. He spun, grabbed his throat, and dropped to the floor, with blood flowing over his hand. She pocketed the knife and left the room with a familiar strut. _It has to be her…_

"Do you have a better picture of the woman?" Sark asked when the video ended. Without a word Cole pulled out a picture of the same blonde woman from the tape. Sark stared at it for a brief second before letting out a deep breath. "Sydney Bristow."

"No, actually, Agent Sydney Bristow died twelve months ago in a fire that burned down her apartment. This is Julia Thorne."

Sark frowned. "I don't understand. This woman is Agent Bristow's identical twin, except for the hair."

"And the memories." Cole grinned slowly.

"You conditioned her?"

"Very good Mr. Sark." He nodded.

"We took Miss Bristow from her apartment and spent six months re-conditioning her. Everything about her previous life has been erased. She knows nothing of who she used to be. She only knows herself as Julia Thorne, contract killer."

"Impressive." Sark stated. "But then, if she was conditioned by you, that means she also works for you, which means you had her kill my father."

"Casualties are sometimes necessary in our business." Cole shrugged.

"Of course." Sark clenched his teeth together. "There is more that you want from me, isn't there?"

Cole grinned. "You are _so_ smart!"

……………………….

_A/N: Cole's line about Sark's hair was inspired by episode "After Six" (3.13)_

_Thanks again for all the reviews! Sark will star in the next chapter, I guarantee! _

_A special thanks to my beta reader: _SneakyFound47 - she is amazing! Her stories are excellent too – go check them out! 


	6. New Partner

"Sweetheart, can you come out here a minute?" Simon hollered into the back bedroom of his mansion where Sydney had been preparing to take a shower. She covered her red lace bra and panties with a sheer red robe and came out to him. "Jules, this is Mr. Sark. Our employers sent him over…"

Sydney's eyes connected with an uncomfortably familiar crystal blue pair and she fumbled for a believable greeting, however, she found it impossible to try to act formal while she was barely dressed. "Simon, you didn't tell me you weren't alone out here!" She tugged at the robe, trying to cover more of herself, but realizing it was useless since the robe was sheer anyway.

"Oh, don't bother with modesty, sweetheart, I'm sure Mr. Sark doesn't mind." Simon slipped his hand around Sydney's backside and squeezed her ass.

"Simon, please!" Sydney blushed furiously, trying not to betray the truth to Sark. "Forgive his manners, Mr. Sark, he can be a bit of a pig at times." She smiled at Sark politely, hoping her eyes remained expressionless. "I am Julia Thorne, and I do typically wear more clothing than I am at present…" She held her hand out to him.

"I truly don't mind your apparel, Miss Thorne. It is a pleasure to meet you." Sark took her hand and squeezed it slightly. "You are lovely to look at."

"You're flattering, but I really think I ought to go and put something on…" Sydney tried to slip away from Simon but he held her waist firmly.

"It's too late now to cover up, Jules. You may as well get us some drinks!" Simon told her. "Then come and join our conversation and give us men something pleasant to look at." Sydney glared at him sharply but obliged him by turning towards the bar. He smacked her backside teasingly. "You know what I like sweetheart."

"Mr. Sark, may I fix you a drink?" Sydney offered. She decided that she may as well embrace her character of Simon's sexy assassin girlfriend and untied her robe, letting it flutter open as she walked, giving both men a perfect view of her barely clothed figure.

Sark's eyes were transfixed on her figure and he seemed momentarily unable to find words. _She's as beautiful as ever. _"I would love a glass of wine, Chateau Petreuse '82, if you have it."

_Typical_. Sydney tried hard not to roll her eyes. "Actually, Simon doesn't care for wine so he rarely has it in the house."

"Don't let her formality fool you Mr. Sark. Julia's taste is every bit as hard as mine. Her favorite is vodka." Simon grinned.

"Simon you do me an injustice. I do enjoy a glass of wine now and again. If you ever came to my apartment you would know that. I simply choose to lower myself to your taste when we're together." She smiled sweetly and began fixing them both vodka martinis.

"Then, you two do not live together I take it?" Sark analyzed.

Sydney shook her head quickly. "Clearly. Do you honestly think I would stand for this decorating style?" She speared two olives for her drink and placed an onion in Simon's. She brought the drinks to the couches where the men had chosen to sit and handed Simon his, while placing hers on the side table. "I only come here when I'm desperate."

Simon frowned. "Don't tease, Jules. He won't know you're joking."

"Who said I was joking?" Sydney turned away from Simon and flaunted her form at Sark. "May I get you something other than wine?"

He stared at her hard, as though trying to read through her icy stare. She didn't break eye contact, even though she was afraid that if he stared too hard he might be able to read the truth in her face. "A martini would be excellent Miss Thorne, with an olive."

Sydney noticed his raised eyebrow and she smiled. "A man with my taste." She returned to the bar and a moment later brought back the requested drink to Sark. He took it from her, letting his fingers linger just for a moment over hers as he analyzed her face carefully.

"Why are you staring at me, Mr. Sark?" Sydney asked with her best Julia curiosity she could muster at the moment.

"You remind me of somebody." He told her softly.

Simon watched them from the couch. "Should I give the two of you some privacy?"

"If you could! That would be lovely." Sydney tossed back at him sarcastically.

"Very cute, Jules." Simon stood and hooked his arm around her stomach, easily pulling her off her feet and onto his lap. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to make me jealous."

"Would it work?" She asked him pointedly.

"Maybe a little." Simon held her firmly in his lap and she had no choice but to place her arms around his neck. Sark did not miss the brief betrayal of irritation that flickered across her face. "Now, how 'bout we get on with the business that you came here to discuss with us, Mr. Sark."

"The Covenant has sent me here actually, to speak with Miss Thorne." Sark began. "They have recently acquired my cooperation, and now they request that Miss Thorne agrees to partner with me on my first assignment."

"Partner with you?" Simon repeated, with a hint of anger in his tone. "But Julia is my partner."

"Mr. Walker, the Covenant is aware that you and Miss Thorne have not been business partners in quite a while. They feel that she would be better placed actually out doing her job than lounging about at your home."

Sydney tried not to laugh at Sark's phrasing. "Mr. Sark, I believe what Simon was trying to explain, though not in the nicest way, is that I have been assigned to be his partner, and we have been working together for eight weeks now…"

"Working? Is that what you kids are calling it these days?" Sark smirked. "I suppose I have been away for too long. Though I must say the business attire has greatly improved." He eyed her underwear significantly.

"That is quite enough." Sydney stood abruptly. "Mr. Sark, I do not feel that it is in any way necessary for you to critique our personal lives." She curled her fingers around Simon's shirt collar and jerked him to his feet. "Please give me your jacket."

Simon frowned. "Come on babe, we've both made it clear that we don't mind what your wearing…"

"Have you ever considered that I mind?" She scowled. "Or does that not mean anything to you?" Simon considered refusing her for a minute but her firm glared changed his mind and he quickly removed his suit jacket and handed it over to her. "Thank you." She responded coldly and slipped the jacket on. It was much too large for her and reached to mid-thigh, giving her much more coverage. "Now, let us resume our business, but Mr. Sark if you continue to badger us, I will refuse the Covenant's referral for me to be your partner, and continue to work with Simon."

"My, that would be a disappointment for me." Sark replied with a perfectly serious face. She gave him a familiar Bristow-stare and he raised an eyebrow. "But as it is, I do not think you will have much of a choice in this particular matter. The Covenant has given you a new job, and either you will take it or you will be taken off this particular assignment, neither partnering me nor your true love."

Simon glared. "I don't believe you've got that sort of authority mate."

"And I think you would be interested to know that I do, _mate_." Sark retorted.

"I don't think I like your attitude, Mr. Sark." Simon stood unexpectedly, letting Sydney slip from his lap and onto the floor.

"Then I suppose it is a good thing I don't care what you like, Mr. Walker." Sark stood as well, stepping closer to Simon.

"You can see yourself to the door…" Simon took a step closer so that his face was only an inch from Sark's. Sydney could see the veins start to twitch in Simon's neck as he clenched his jaw angrily. She could foresee the rumble that was about to erupt and she quickly interfered.

"Simon, baby," Sydney stood quickly and jumped between the two men, separating them swiftly. "As much as I would love to see you pound Mr. Sark into the ground, I do believe that our employers would frown on such an action at this time…" She placed her hands calmingly on Simon's chest. "Come back and sit down and we'll talk about this rationally, please." She kissed his jaw line sweetly and his anger began to melt.

"Alright then," Simon let her lead him back to the couch. "Perhaps my Jules has a point."

Sark also resumed his seat, watching Sydney curiously. She glanced at him briefly but quickly returned her eyes to Simon who was intently securing his arms around her.

"Mr. Sark, what exactly will our partnership involve?" Sydney asked.

"At present, nothing more than you joining me on my trip to Paris this weekend." Sark explained simply. "The Covenant has chosen me to replace Mr. Walker on the Rambaldi quest, considering my previous experience with his artifacts."

"Oh? You have worked with Rambaldi pieces before?" Sydney asked.

"Ah, yes. Quite often actually." Sark answered. "They believe that I may offer some new insight to the search for this particular item."

"I see. But the Covenant wishes for me to remain on the search as well?" Sydney asked, even though she was already quite confident in the answer.

"Absolutely. They believe that your particular skills could be useful to me." Sydney didn't miss the grin that lurked on Sark's face with his last statement.

"Of course. Well, if it is their wish I suppose I will have to oblige them." Sydney gave in quickly. "When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow evening." Sark informed her. "I have all the information you will need for the mission, whenever you care to go through it." He held up a large, sealed envelope."

"I expect I should begin tonight." Sydney stood. "Simon, I think it would be best for me to go to my own place tonight."

"But Jules, you're leaving me tomorrow, and who knows how long it'll be before you get back!" Simon protested. "Stay here tonight!"

She shook her head. "I need to prepared for my assignment. It would be irresponsible of me to stay the night with you."

Simon sighed but nodded. "Fine. How about I drive you home and stay at your place tonight?"

Sydney shook her head again. "No, Simon, you may drive me home but I need to focus tonight."

Sark stood quickly. "If you would allow me, I would be pleased to give you a ride, Miss Thorne. That way we could have some more time to become familiar with one another before leaving tomorrow."

Simon seemed to almost growl at Sark's offer, but Sydney nodded. "That would be fine, Mr. Sark, if you're sure it wouldn't be out of your way."

"Not at all. I have no prior engagements this evening, and I believe it would benefit us both." He glanced at Simon. "I promise to take good care of her Mr. Walker."

"Are you sure you don't want me to drive you home Jules?" Simon deceived his real motive as he glanced at Sark.

"Honestly Simon, Mr. Sark has been charming to offer me a ride and since we will be partners now it would make sense to spend a bit of time together." Sydney decided firmly. "Let me just have a moment to put on some clothes."

"Take your time. I am in no rush, Miss Thorne."

Sydney noticed how Simon continued to stare at Sark and then quickly turned to follow her. "I'll come and help you sweetheart, just in case there's a zipper in a hard to reach spot…" He winked at Sark. "If you catch my meaning."

Sark nodded. "Oh yes, I believe it is quite plain."

Sydney was too annoyed to protest and so allowed Simon to follow her into the bedroom, but when he started kissing her neck she stopped him. "Simon, I do not have time for this right now. Either leave me alone or you may go and wait in the living room with Mr. Sark."

"I don't like the idea of him being alone with you…" Simon complained.

"When we first met I told you that I am a professional with my work. At this point, Mr. Sark is my work." Sydney reminded him.

Simon dropped down on the bed and stared up at her with pouting eyes. "Let me rephrase myself. I don't _want_ you to be working with him."

"I work with whoever the Covenant puts me with. It is my job. That doesn't mean I always enjoy it…"

"Is that all I've ever been to you Jules?" Simon asked suddenly. "Was I just an assignment that the Covenant set you up with?"

Sydney was glad she had her back to him so she couldn't see her expression. "You know it's not like that with us, Simon." She composed herself and turned around to face him. "When we first met, you were a job, but it has been weeks since I have felt that way about you." She kissed him reassuringly. "I think you know that."

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her on to the bed with him. "Prove it to me sweetheart."

"I don't have time for games, Simon." She tired pushing him away but he locked his hands together, holding her in place.

"Come on, he said he was in no rush. I'm letting you go out of town with another man, the least you could do is give me a few minutes…" He started kissing her shoulder.

"Simon, I'm serious!" Sydney squirmed, trying to break free. "I need to focus right now. I need you to respect my job."

"And I need you to respect my needs." He argued, capturing her lips in a kiss. Sydney started losing her patience and instinctively let her teeth catch on his lip. He pulled away quickly. "Dammit Julia!" He shoved her off of him and she lost her balance and tumbled to the ground.

"You wouldn't listen to me." She defended herself, standing quickly and moving to her side of the closet where he allowed her to keep a few things. She hurriedly dressed in a black pencil skirt and a white, silk shirt.

"Well you didn't have to make me bleed!" He felt his lip and pulled his fingers away, stained with his own blood. "Crazy bitch." He glared at her sharply.

Sydney couldn't hold back her frustrations any longer. "God, I'm just going to say it! I am glad the Covenant finally gave me a new job! Now I don't have to pretend to be happy being your bitch anymore." She stepped into a pair of black stiletto sandals and strutted out of the room. "Goodbye Simon."

Sark stood quickly as he saw her approaching with a fiery scowl etched on her face. "Are we all ready to go then?"

"Absolutely." Sydney assured him. She snatched up her purse and red silk scarf from the table by the door and glanced briefly over her shoulder to see Simon hurrying out of the bedroom.

"Julia, sweetheart, you didn't mean any of that did you?"

Sydney glared at him. "What do you think?"

"Come on babe," Simon grabbed her hand. "Don't leave me in this mood. It was just one of our spats! They never mean anything!" He leaned in to kiss her but she pulled back and slipped her hand away from his. "Jules, don't be angry at me for good! You know I'd be an absolute disaster without you!"

"I am certain you will manage." Sydney replied coldly.

Simon frowned. "Don't be so cold Jules."

Sydney sighed. "I don't know how long I will be gone with Mr. Sark, but when I return I will consider how I am feeling and then perhaps you will hear from me." She passed through the door and glanced back over her shoulder. "Don't hold your breath." Simon's face fell.

Sark clucked his tongue against his teeth. "You might want to put some ice on that lip, _mate_." He leaned in a bit so Sydney couldn't overhear him. "Don't worry, I'll have her in bed by eleven." Simon bristled and attempted to lunge at Sark, but the younger man quickly moved out of the way and hurried after Sydney to the car.

"I am sorry if I caused a row between you and your boyfriend, Miss Thorne." Sark apologized as he sped out of the Simon's long driveway in his expensive Mercedes convertible.

_He almost sounds sincere. _Sydney thought as she tried not to reveal anything to Sark. "My problems with Simon have been going on in one way or another since the day we met. You have simply given me an excuse to finally leave him."

"Well, if I had known I would be doing you such a favor perhaps I would have convinced the Covenant to send me to you earlier." Sark gave her a very slight smile.

"Would you really have had that authority, Mr. Sark?" Sydney asked carefully. "I know back at the house you suggested that you did have an amount of control over the Covenant's decisions, but I have to wonder how much of what you said was simply for show around Simon and how much of it is real."

"You doubt my word, Miss Thorne?"

"Not exactly, Mr. Sark, however, I am aware of how cautious the Covenant is with its control, and considering I have never heard of you before, I have to wonder how important your role with them truly is." She explained.

"So, you claim to never have heard of me before?" Sark started pushing, hoping to get her to crack. No matter what the Covenant believed, he knew that Sydney was still very much alive, hidden by her perfect façade of Julia Thorne.

Sydney shook her head. "Should I have?"

Sark shrugged. "Perhaps. Of course I have been in CIA custody for nearly a year."

"Have you?" Sydney pretended to be completely surprised by the information. "How unfortunate for you."

"Yes, I have. In fact, the woman that I mentioned earlier, the one that you remind me of, she is actually the reason I was captured." Sark told her, watching her expression out of the corner of his eye as he sped around the dark corners of the Italian countryside.

Sydney smiled at him. "She must have been a good agent."

"She is." Sark told her. "Or I suppose I should say, she _was_."

"Was?" Sydney kept her voice steady, trying her best to remain perfectly Julia. "Did something happen to her?"

Sark nodded. "She died. In fact, it was just after she brought me in."

"Oh? Do you know how it happened?" Sydney was desperate to see how much she could get out of him. He had clearly been filled in on her process of becoming Julia Thorne, but she wondered if he was fully convinced.

"Yes, she discovered that her roommate had been doubled of all things, and the two of them battled it out until they were both unconscious and burned alive in their apartment." Sark stated as though it were some sort of childhood bedtime story that had been passed down through generations of terrorists.

"That is a tragic way to die." Sydney gritted her teeth, remembering the night vividly in her mind. "But I suppose it is lucky for you that she is forever out of your way, and will never be able to capture you again." She offered him a calm smile.

He nodded slowly. "Yes…that is one way to look at it I suppose. Though I must admit I am a bit sad to be rid of her. She was always my best opponent."

Sydney frowned. "That is an odd way to think about it. She was your enemy, wasn't she?"

"Very much, but I was always rather excited to come up against her." He glanced at her again. "Being in her presence exhilarated me."

Sydney felt nauseas. "Then I suppose I am sorry for your sake that she is _dead_." She said the words firmly, hoping to erase any doubt in Sark's mind regarding her true loyalties. "Now, would you like to give me some more information about this man, Rambaldi? The Covenant has barely told me anything, and since you claim to be such an expert…"

"Hardly an expert, but definitely experienced." Sark agreed. _Damn, she is good. _He focused on his driving but his mind was reeling with ways to make Sydney break and confess to him.


	7. Sark Intervenes

"Just a minute!" Sydney called out in response to the knock on her door the following afternoon. After dropping her off at her flat the previous night, Sark had made arrangements to pick her up for their flight the next day, though she hadn't anticipated him arriving so early. _He would be prompt, wouldn't he? _Sydney mused to herself as she headed to the front door. "I'm just about ready…" She paused when she realized that it was not Sark at the door. "Paul!"

"Were you expecting someone?" The law student stood outside her door, with a bouquet of roses in his hand.

"Umm, yes actually…" Sydney eyed the flowers curiously. "My business partner should be here in any moment. Did you want something?"

He held out the flowers to her. "Well tomorrow I graduate from law school and I was hoping that you might consider coming to the ceremony as my date…" His face was blushing red. "I know I'm nothing special, and I'm probably not the sort that you are used to dating, but I think if you gave me a chance you might be surprised…"

Sydney smiled. "Paul, you are very sweet. And I am flattered by your interest in me, but honestly, I'm no good for you!" She sighed. "You deserve a nice, young, girl without baggage. My life is too complicated for a relationship with someone like you…"

"I can handle complications, Julia! Just give me a chance!" He begged. "You're the most amazing girl I know…"

"Paul, you don't know anything about me." She shook her head. "Really, I would make an awful girlfriend for you." She leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Find someone who would appreciate you for the amazing guy you are!"

He nodded. "I suppose I can take a hint. Would you at least consider attending my ceremony?"

She smiled. "I would, but I am actually leaving for Paris in an hour."

"Fine, I had to try…"

"And if the circumstances were different, you very possibly would succeed. It's really nothing personal, Paul." She pulled him in for an embrace. "I hope we can still be friends…"

"What the hell is going on?" A loud voice approaching in the hall snapped Sydney into defense mode.

"Simon, this isn't what it looks like…" She protested instantly, breaking the hug, but pushing Paul behind her a bit.

"Is that right? 'Cause I think it looks like you've been screwing around behind my back!" Simon marched up to them and pushed her out of the way. "God Jules, I thought our relationship meant something to you!"

"Simon, I thought I made it clear last night that we were over." Sydney reminded him.

"So you waited all of a couple of hours before picking up a new mate?" He glowered at Paul.

"Paul is just a friend. He's my neighbor."

"You lying whore!" Simon slapped her without a thought.

"Don't touch her!" Paul jumped to attention like a boy scout.

"Paul, stay out of this." Sydney warned, but he didn't listen. Instead he moved in front of her protectively and tried to stare down Simon.

"You've been putting the moves on my girlfriend!" Simon accused.

"First of all, I didn't even know Julia had a boyfriend, but even so we've never even gone on a date!" Paul insisted. Simon didn't care to hear any more, but punched Paul hard, knocking him to the ground and possibly breaking his nose.

"Simon!" Sydney screamed, jumping in the way and shoving Simon backwards. "You bastard!" He grabbed her wrists but she kneed him hard in the stomach and he released her. "I meant what I said! I never want to see you again!"

"Don't say things you don't mean sweetheart…" Simon wrapped his arms around her quickly, pinning her arms to her sides and held her firmly. "I know you'll never get enough of me." He pressed her back against the wall and moved to kiss her.

"Mr. Walker, I am not entirely sure that she is interested in you at the moment." Sark's cool voice spoke up from behind Simon.

_He has the worst timing! _Sydney hated how Sark kept finding her in such degrading situations.

"I don't much care for your opinion Mr. Sark." Simon growled, pressing his knee between Sydney's legs and pinning her body to the wall with his chest. "You get her for the weekend, I'm just saying my goodbyes…"

He was cut off by the sound of a gun being cocked. The cold barrel was pressed against Simon's skull as Sark stepped up beside him, holding it perfectly steady. "I will offer you one warning Mr. Walker, if you do not step away from Miss Thorne in three seconds I will not hesitate to put a bullet through your brain."

"Oh god…" Paul mumbled in the corner where he was still cowering, holding his nose in pain.

"Sark…" Sydney gasped as Simon dug his fingers into her sides.

"Three. Two." Sark began counting with a perfectly controlled voice.

"Alright!" Simon released Sydney and backed away with his hands up. "You win." He scowled at Sydney. "We had some good times together Jules."

"Until you turned into a psychotic bastard, yes, I would agree." Sydney rubbed her arms where he had been holding her tightly.

"Goodbye Mr. Walker." Sark kept the gun aimed at him as he started backing away down the hallway.

"She's an incredible shag, Mr. Sark. Enjoy her." Simon grinned. Sark released the trigger and a bullet whizzed past Simon's head, lodging itself in the elevator door.

"The next one goes between your eyes." Sark threatened.

Simon saluted Sark cockily and slipped into the elevator. "Goodbye sweetheart!" He blew Sydney a kiss as the doors snapped shut.

"Did he hurt you?" Sark turned to Sydney. He actually looked concerned.

She shook her head and turned to the terrified law student. "Paul, are you alright?"

He nodded and stood shakily. "You weren't joking about complications."

Sydney smiled at him. "Simon was…a mistake." She shrugged. "Everyone's entitled to a few bad ex's, right?"

Paul grinned. "I should probably get some ice on my nose so it doesn't swell too much for the ceremony tomorrow."

Sydney nodded. "You may want to go to the doctor, but I don't think it is broken."

Sark joined them. "I am quite experienced with broken noses, and yours definitely is not. Though it will bruise a decent amount…"

Paul eyed the well-dressed stranger with a curious frown.

"Oh, Paul, this is my new business partner, Mr. Julian Sark." Sydney introduced quickly. Sark's eyes darted her way but he remained composed. The men nodded at each other in greeting.

"Julia, we had better go. Our plane will be departing soon." Sark reminded her.

"Of course, let me just get my bags." She kissed Paul's cheek sweetly. "Will you be alright?"

He nodded. "I'll be fine. Have fun in Paris."

Sydney stepped into her apartment briefly and returned with two black luggage bags, which Sark took from her to carry. He led the way outside where a car was waiting to take them to the plane. He opened the door for her and let her into the back seat first before following her in. He glanced through the partition dividing the back seat from the driver and mumbled directions before closing the partition and turning to focus on Sydney.


	8. The Truth Discovered

She felt him watching her intently and fidgeted uncomfortably. "I appreciate your help with Simon. He can be a bit of a bastard at times."

"Why do you put up with him?" Sark questioned.

"I'm not sure I'll have to anymore." Sydney told him firmly. "I think we're over."

"How did a woman as…talented…as you, ever end up with a man like him?"

"What do you mean exactly Mr. Sark?" Sydney picked up on something in his tone that she didn't particularly trust.

"I think you know exactly what I mean, Miss _Thorne_." He insisted.

Sydney inched away from him nervously. "Simon was an assignment. I was ordered to partner with him a few weeks ago. I believe he was interested in me from the first night…I left quite a lasting impression on him from the beginning."

"You are not fooling me." Sark stated suddenly.

She didn't respond.

"Sydney." Sark spoke her name softly.

"Excuse me?" Sydney turned to him quickly, forcing herself to remain calm.

"You have always been a brilliant woman, Sydney. I have always respected you, but now, fooling everyone into believing that you are actually Julia Thorne…"

"I _am_ Julia Thorne." She insisted.

"You have an amazing talent with adapting to your different aliases, but I know you too well."

"You clearly do not know me at all, Mr. Sark. You are confused." Sydney argued.

"You can lie to yourself all you wish, Sydney, but just remember that you are not fooling me. Even your alias, Julia Thorne, wouldn't give herself to a man like Simon Walker unless she was desperately running from something, or perhaps someone." Sark told her simply. "You probably refused Simon for quite a while when you began working together. But then one night something changed and you gave in. Tell me, Sydney, what happened the first night you slept with Simon? What changed your mind?"

Sydney's face was perfectly expressionless, but her eyes were burning with pain. "I am not who you think, Mr. Sark. You have me mixed up with someone else."

"As you wish." Sark agreed, holding up his hands and leaning back in his seat. "Oh, but one more thing, you introduced me to your neighbor as _Julian_ Sark." He smirked. "I never told Julia my first name…Sydney."

Sydney clenched her teeth, realizing her stupid mistake and dropped her eyes to her lap. "Sark…"

"This car is clean, Sydney. I promise. Nobody is listening in, and I have told no one." He assured her. "Like I said, you have an amazing talent, and I respect you for it, but I have known you for too long to believe that you do not remember me and everything about who you really are."

She stared at him. "How long have you known?"

"Well, I have had my suspicions since the Covenant first bragged to me about their success is changing you, however, seeing you last night with Mr. Walker confirmed it for me. There was something so perfect about your behavior with him, but there was something in your eyes that betrayed you. I knew you weren't happy."

"How would you ever know what would make me happy?" Sydney accused him bitterly. "Simon is amazing, in _many_ ways…"

"Oh, no doubt." Sark raised an eyebrow. "But am I right? You did not give yourself to him at first. It took something to change your mind, correct?" Sydney was silent. "What happened the first night you slept with Mr. Walker? What made you turn to him?"

Sydney took a deep breath. _I can't believe I'm going to tell him!_ "That was the night I found out that Vaughn had gotten married."

Her confession was not what Sark had been expecting. He analyzed her eyes for a moment before understanding how terribly that news had hurt her. "So, the boy scout has his faults as well as the rest of us."

"I didn't tell you so you could tease me, Sark." Sydney told him angrily.

"I do not mean to tease you, Sydney. I admire you too much for something so cruel." He replied honestly. "You have managed to set up a life for yourself with a new name and a new history, and nobody knows the truth."

"Except for you." Sydney reminded him.

"Correct, except for me." He pondered the significance of that for a moment with a smile. "I am honored to be privy to such an important secret."

"Sark, we're not friends. I hate you, and I think it's pretty obvious why. But what I need to know is why you're coming to me like this. If you knew that I was faking Julia, why didn't you just go to the Covenant…"

"And what? Have you killed?" Sark shook his head. "That would hardly be my preference. I tend to enjoy you alive, actually."

She looked at him skeptically. "I don't trust you."

"Well, whether or not you trust me is irrelevant, since we are both in a similar position. We are both being brutally used by the Covenant, and neither of us much care for it."

"How are you being used?"

"They brought me out of prison, had my father murdered, and our now using my inheritance to fund their business." Sark explained briefly.

"They had your father murdered?" Sydney frowned.

"Yes, but I believe you already knew that." Sark stared at her pointedly. "Tell me _Julia_, have you assassinated anyone recently?"

Sydney gasped, as she understood whom he was talking about. "Adrian Lazarey was your father."

"Yes, of course, I have not spoken to him in many years." He cleared his throat awkwardly. "I did not have particularly pleasant memories of him, however, he was my father and I should be terribly cross with you for killing him."

Sydney tried not to betray anything else to Sark for the night. There was no need for him to know that his father was very much alive and waiting for Sydney to join him as soon as she was able to get to the safe house. "I'm sorry, but I was just doing my job. Same as you were when you arranged for Francie to be killed."

"Sydney, I do not hold it against you for killing my father, and I wish you wouldn't hold it against me for what happened to your friend. You must believe that I had nothing to do with that. I was not aware of Sloane's plan until it was too late."

"You expect me to believe that?" Sydney almost laughed. "Allison is your girlfriend."

"She _was_ my girlfriend, until Sloane used her behind my back to infiltrate you. They did not fill me in on the plan because they both knew very well that I would protest." He insisted.

"You know, I ran into Allison a while ago. The Covenant must have thought it would be entertaining to partner us together to steal information from the CIA." Sydney rolled her eyes.

"I can imagine how painful that must have been for you." Sark told her with an expression that almost looked like sympathy.

"You have no idea."

"Almost as painful as it must have been for you to learn that your boyfriend couldn't even wait a full year before marrying another woman."

Sydney slapped him without thinking and he recoiled in pain. "Don't talk as if you give a damn about me."

"Believe it or not Sydney, but I do care about you and your life, because I know what it is like to be used for a purpose that you do not want to be a part of." He rubbed his burning cheek. "I believe we could help each other escape from the control that the Covenant has over us."

"Yes, I can imagine how terrible it must be for you to be robbed of a little inheritance money." She retorted. "They _stole_ my life!" She shouted at him and he shut his eyes calmly, waiting for her to be done with her tantrum.

"I understand that, but just so we in understanding, it was not a little inheritance. The Covenant took eight hundred million dollars from me."

Sydney opened her mouth to respond but quickly snapped it shut again. "Was your father mafia?"

"Hardly." Sark smirked. "It seems I am some sort of heir to the line of the Romanov's." He noted her shocked expression. "But that is enough about me for now, I believe." He checked his expensive watch and turned to her. "Since you are not actually Julia Thorne, I expect you are in contact with someone at the CIA." Sydney nodded. "Help me bring down the Covenant, and I will help you get your life back."

Sydney contemplated his offer for a minute. "How do I know I can trust you?"

"In all honesty, there is probably no way to guarantee to you that I am trustworthy, but I give you my word, and you should know that I am a man of my word." He held out his hand to her. "Do we have a deal?"

She frowned and studied his steady eyes for a brief moment before placing her hand into his. "Deal."


	9. Paris: the city of Love?

"Honey, slow down! I'm having trouble keeping up with you in these new heels!" Sydney kept up her Julia accent as she stumbled after Sark, who was rushing much more quickly than she could manage, through the marble-floored lobby of a glamorous hotel in Paris.

"Forgive me darling, you know I don't mean to rush you…" Sark stopped suddenly and turned back to Sydney quickly. He was speaking abnormally loudly, making sure that anybody near could easily hear them as they carried on what seemed to be a perfectly normal conversation between husband and wife.

"You are always rushing me Steven," Sydney complained with her best whiny wife voice. "You know it hasn't been very easy for me lately." She placed a hand on her large, fake belly.

"You know, maybe you should listen to the doctors when they tell you to stay in bed." Sark covered her hand with his and rubbed her belly caringly. "Our baby needs a well-rested mother."

Sydney tried hard not to slap his hand away from her. "And let you go romping off on glamorous vacations all by yourself? I hardly see how that would be enjoyable for me!" She put on the most endearing smile she could fake.

"Well, I hardly see how my business trips can be considered glamorous vacations, but whatever my baby wants, my baby gets!" Sark grasped her hand and led her more slowly up to the receptionist desk.

"Bonjour! And how may I help you today?" The cheery lady at the front desk greeted Sark and Sydney in French and with a wide smile.

"We are checking in." Sark declared charmingly in French as well.

"Very good, I assume you have a reservation?"

"Of course!" Sark leaned on the counter. "The reservation is under my name, Mr. Steven Millay."

"Oh yes, Mr. Millay. I have you in our best suite!" The receptionist eyed Sydney curiously. "Mr. Millay, this reservation is only for one, we weren't aware that you were going to be accompanied by…"

"My wife, Grace." Sark smiled, bringing Sydney's fingertips to his lips. "I know I should have left her at home on bed rest, as the doctor advised, but she can be very persistent, and I have heard it is dangerous to anger a pregnant woman. They're hormones make them quite temperamental."

"Honey, I am standing right here!" Sydney smacked Sark in the chest, and then turned to the receptionist with a smile. "I just can't bear letting him out of my sight."

"Well, of course!" The lady smiled obligingly and began typing a few quick notes into her computer. "Let me just make a few adjustments here so everyone can help make you both as comfortable as possible."

"Thank you." Sark turned to Sydney suddenly and slipped his hand around her neck pulling her in for a kiss. She stepped on his toe and he broke the kiss quickly.

"_Honey_, we are in public." Sydney almost growled at him.

"Oh don't worry about me doll _(I might make this a Miss. It sounds more professional.)_! The two of you are on vacation…by the looks of things, probably the last one before you have parental responsibilities to worry about. You should enjoy yourselves!" The receptionist handed Sark a room key. "Have a good stay!"

"Oh, we will." Sark wrapped his arm around Sydney's waist and directed her towards the elevators.

"What the hell are you doing?" Sydney pulled away from Sark the instant the elevator doors snapped shut.

"Sydney, you agreed to act this part with me…" Sark reminded her calmly.

"That doesn't give you permission to slobber in my mouth!" Sydney exclaimed viciously.

"We are supposed to be happily married and eagerly anticipating the birth of our child. Would it be better for us to act as though we hated one another?"

Sydney sighed deeply, glaring at Sark firmly. "I will hold your hand and pretend to be pleased with the thought of having your baby, but if you try to put your tongue in my mouth again, I _will_ bite it off."

"I have been fairly warned." Sark smiled coolly and held his hand out to her. "We are nearing our floor darling, please take my hand."

"Have I told you lately how much I hate you?" Sydney muttered as she gave him her hand.

"Gracie, darling, why do you try to hurt me?" Sark smiled cordially at a passing couple as he exited the elevator with Sydney. "You know how much I love you."

She put on a pleasant face for the benefit of the passing strangers but the moment they had passed she turned to Sark with fiery eyes. "You make me sick."

"All in a day's work love." Sark smiled charmingly at her as they reached their hotel suite and he unlocked the door. "What a charming suite." He eyed the king size bed with a smirk. "Do you have a preference on which side of the bed you take?"

Sydney glared at him. "I'm going to pretend you didn't actually just ask me that." She placed the privacy sign on the door and latched the lock. "The fact that I have to spend a night with you alone in a hotel room disgusts me, but since you will actually be sleeping on the floor, or maybe even in the bathroom…"

"I beg your pardon?" Sark frowned. "I have no intention to leave you with the comfort and luxury of the bed while I am tossed aside like a dog!"

"You're not seriously suggesting that we share the bed, are you?"

"I promise not to be possessive of the blankets." He gave her a cocky grin.

"I never actually thought I'd miss Simon…" Sydney moved over to the luggage that the bellhops had already set up in the room and began rifling through a bag for a change of clothes.

Sark rolled his eyes behind her back and began to set up his laptop at the desk as Sydney moved into the bathroom to change. "Now, our job is fairly simple and I believe we could easily finish it this evening, but it could be much more entertaining if we took this evening for our own enjoyment."

"You just keep on pushing me, Sark." Sydney exited the bathroom dressed comfortably in a pair of tight black velour pants and a loose tank top.

"Then I suppose I should take it that you do not wish to spend the evening with me." Sark shrugged and continued working at his laptop. "It is a pity, but I suppose I will survive."

Sydney kept a firm glare as she moved over to the desk and tried to see over Sark's shoulder. "So, what's the plan?"

"I have hacked into Mr. Mateski's personal scheduler and I see that he has dinner reservations for seven o'clock in the hotel's restaurant, which is where I believe we should make our appearance." Sark informed her.

"Sounds good." Sydney moved away from the desk and started sorting through the bags of weapons and technical supplies they had brought.

Sark picked up the hotel phone from the desk and quickly dialed the restaurant. "Good afternoon, this is Mr. Millay and I would like to make reservations for dinner this evening at seven o'clock." He waited for the response momentarily. "The reservation will be for two, myself and my wife. Yes, thank you." He hung up the phone and turned to Sydney who was spinning a small dagger between her fingers. "Then while you distract Mr. Mateski…."

"I really hate being the distraction." Sydney mumbled bitterly. She stopped twirling the knife, gripped it firmly between two fingers, and then released it quickly, sending it spinning through the air until it stuck in the wall opposite her.

Sark raised an eyebrow at the new wall decoration. "Yes, I can understand that, but what I cannot understand is how we could make it work any other way. I mean, I suppose I could dress myself in the fake pregnancy belly and parade around the restaurant…" He sat back in the chair and crossed his arms contemplatively. "I imagine that could cause quite a distraction…"

"Right, I get the point." Sydney sighed. "I'll play the distraction."

Sark grinned. "We have three hours until our reservation. What will we do?"

Sydney frowned. "How about I get in some target practice. I'll give you three second head start!"

"You can be so cruel." Sark moved out of the chair swiftly and snatched the bag of weapons away from her, as though he thought she might actually be serious about making him her moving target. "I have a better idea."

"Oh?" Sydney pouted. "I thought mine sounded pretty good."

"We could talk." Sark suggested.

"Talk? Like chat? You and me?" Sydney laughed. "You are a comedian Sark."

"Come now Sydney, you and I are going to be partnering for who knows how long. I don't think it would be a bad idea for us to get to know one another a little better than the facts in our files." Sark explained.

"Sark, I don't want to have a conversation with you." Sydney declared firmly.

"Why not?"

"Mainly because I'm not sure if I could keep from strangling you long enough to have a civil conversation." Sydney told him bluntly. "Conversations are for friends or for people who have a desire to be polite acquaintances, not for enemies who are blackmailed into working together."

"Sydney, you know that I hardly consider you my enemy." Sark reminded her.

"Oh of course, but I was talking more about me being blackmailed into working with you." Sydney pointed out.

He pressed his hand over his heart. "You really know how to sting me don't you?"

"Don't even try to be cute with me Sark."

"So, you think I'm cute?" Sark smirked.

Sydney couldn't respond. Instead she put on her perfect Bristow glare and refused to talk to him.

"Are you ignoring me now, then?" Sark asked after almost a minute of her silent treatment. "Well, yes, I can see how that would be the mature action to take."

Sydney let out a noise that sounded something like a growl. "You are so irritating!"

"Come on Sydney, why are you so determined to make this difficult? You have agreed to be my partner, and yet you refuse to work civilly with me. If you could simply accept that we will be working together and at least try to make things easier, it will go much better, I am certain."

_Why is he always so calm? _Sydney pondered to herself as she analyzed Sark's perfectly composed face. Every inch of it was poised as if he knew he was in control and he enjoyed it thoroughly. _Well, why shouldn't he? He's out of CIA custody and he's working for the bad guys again and this time he gets to use me to get what he wants. He's basically living his dream, I'm sure. _She had an urge to slap him, but her conscience held her back. _He is smirking at me with his eyes. _She glared at him, staring straight into his beautiful baby-blues. _How can he be so aggravating and yet so damn attractive? _

"Are you ever going to answer me?" Sark broke into her thoughts suddenly.

"I…" She had been so busy critiquing him that she had forgotten he was talking to her. "Fine. I'll talk to you. What do you want to talk about?"


	10. Civil Conversation? Impossible

**Valoriahn:** _Thanks for the comment! I like it. You're probably right, I'll bring that into the next couple of chapters. Thanks for reading! _

_Thanks everyone for the comments! _

* * *

"Would you stop asking me about that?" Sydney exclaimed vehemently. "I agreed to talk to you but somehow you keep bringing the subject back to me and Vaughn, which is not something I want to discuss with you!"

"I was simply curious as to whether or not he is aware you are in fact, alive." Sark explained. "And I think I have been a perfect conversationalist for the most part."

"Well yes considering we have mostly been talking about your very uneventful time in CIA custody…" Sydney rolled her eyes.

"I was informing you of the lack of entertainment provided." Sark explained. "I was bored senseless."

"Yea, well, I guess we could work on being more accommodating for national terrorists…" Sydney sighed. "Can we talk about something else?"

"Yes of course. I believe I asked you a question about Agent Vaughn."

"We are not discussing this Sark!" Sydney insisted.

"Fine, no need to be so defensive." Sark held up his hands in surrender. "I suppose we should start simpler. Tell me Miss Bristow, what is your favorite color?"

Sydney stared hard at him for a minute trying to decide if he was joking or not. "Why are you always teasing me, Sark?"

"Sydney I am not teasing you in the least. I have a natural curiosity and you cannot hold it against me." Sark gave her a very slight smile.

_He is teasing me._ Sydney decided firmly in her mind. "Well if it's to take care of your curiosity then by all means…" She stood and started sorting through her luggage for the dress she planned on wearing that evening.

"Are you trying to ignore me again Sydney?" Sark stood and followed her over to the closet where Sydney was hanging her dress.

"Well, I've found it easiest to ignore people when they're being ridiculous."

"I'm not trying to be ridiculous Sydney!" Sark declared. "I am genuinely curious to know more about you. And if you are not willing to respond the important questions that I ask, I will simply have to settle for the casual sort that strangers typically ask one another." He folded his arms and watched her with intrigued admiration as she carefully unpacked her suitcase, setting out each item in its own place on the vanity table beside the wardrobe. "So, tell me Sydney, please, what is your favorite color?"

Sydney paused and glanced up at him. "Red." She announced finally. "My favorite color is red, are you happy?"

"Quite. Mine is blue if you are at all interested." Sark replied casually. "What is your favorite vacation spot?"

"Alright, it's not that I don't enjoy twenty questions, but really, I have to ask, why the hell do you care to know anything about me?" Sydney questioned. "I mean, these sort of things anyway."

Sark moved over to his own luggage to retrieve his suit for the evening. "Well, it's as I said before, all I know about you really is what I can find out through official documents. I know your name and your agent abilities, but I know nothing about you."

"Such as my list of favorite things?" Sydney scoffed. "I just find it hard to believe that someone like you'd be interested in my trivial particulars."

"On the contrary. I think I have made it clear that I am very interested. I am interested in you as my partner, obviously, but also a person." He paused, silently rebuking himself for how cheesy he was sounding. He cleared his throat and quickly continued. "You are a fascinating woman, Sydney Bristow."

Sydney was too stunned to reply. She had stopped unpacking and was now staring at Sark with her mouth slightly open and her eyes wide in bewilderment. When Sark realized that he had shocked her into silence he felt like applauding himself in victory, but he wisely refrained and instead returned to his own unpacking, momentarily turning his back on her.

"I…umm…I…I need to take a shower." Sydney instantly headed towards the bathroom, eager to put a solid door between herself and Sark.

"Take your time." Sark called after her. "Enjoy yourself." He grinned at the closed door and listened to the click of the lock. _I've made Sydney Bristow speechless. _

Sydney flipped the lock on the doorknob quickly and braced her shoulders against the door. _What the hell is wrong with me?_ She buried her fingers in her thick hair and pulled them through the tangles. _It's Julian Sark! He is a terrorist! A murderer! And an all around ass! _She remember that she had told him she was taking a shower so she moved away from the door and quickly turned on the water. She waited a moment as the water grew hot and the steam clouded the air of the large bathroom. _I shouldn't care what he thinks or what he says or what he does. He's just trying to screw with me and make me crazy! _She shed her clothing and stepped into the shower. _He doesn't really care at all about me. He is just…_She let out a frustrated groan and felt hot tears burning in her eyes. _Why is this happening to me? I just want to go home…_

When she had finished with her shower and her contemplations, Sydney slipped into one of the provided terrycloth robes that hung on the wall beside the shower. _I need to focus. _She mentally prepared herself for leaving the privacy of the bathroom and rejoining Sark and his irritatingly friendly curiosity. _He is a job. I am working with him to get this life over with. He is a means to an end and nothing else…_

She pulled the robe more tightly about herself and exited the bathroom. She spotted Sark lounging on the bed with his hands folded across his stomach and his eyes only partly open. When he saw her, his eyes opened and a slow, slightly crooked grin spread across his full lips.

"Is this how all women look when they're not all dolled up?"

"Dolled up?" Sydney frowned. "What's wrong with how I look?" She self-consciously reached a hand up to her wet tangled hair. She retrieved her hairbrush from the dresser top and started working through her long hair.

"There's nothing wrong with how you look Sydney. I've simply never seen you without your complete attire." Sark let his eyes wander up and down her body freely.

Sydney pulled the robe tighter around her body and chucked the hairbrush hard at Sark, catching him in the stomach by surprise. He clutched at his stomach and sat up.

"Play nice!"

"Why should I?" Sydney rolled her eyes. "You never do."

"On the contrary," Sark stood slowly and moved towards her. "I am always the perfect gentleman." He leaned towards her and she backed away instinctively.

"Don't touch me!"

"I wasn't going to touch you Sydney. You should not be so nervous all the time." Sark moved back politely.

"I'm not nervous, I just don't trust you."

"You smell incredible." He complimented in a murmur.

Sydney's face screwed up in a disgusted frown and she slapped him automatically. "I have accepted that I have to work with you, and I have accepted that you might actually be helping me get my life back, but I do not have to accept you. When we must be around each other but are not in the field, it would be best for you to keep your distance."

Sark rubbed his burning cheek and shook his head. "You are determined to make this partnership as difficult as possible." He moved away from her and returned his attention to his laptop. "I suppose this means our conversation has ended."

"You're very perceptive." Sydney took her dress into the bathroom and shut the door. After affixing the belly to herself, Sydney slipped the silky dress over her head and reached around to zip up the back. _Damn._ Sydney gritted her teeth when she realized that she couldn't reach far enough to finish the zipper. _I can do it…_She grunted as she tried twisting her arms and her body, trying to reach, but without success. She slammed her fists down on the counter, finally giving up her useless attempt, and turned to the door to face the inevitable. She took a deep breath, opened the door, and reactively gasped. "Oh god…" She slapped a hand over her eyes quickly.

"Can't a bloke have a bit of privacy?" Sark snapped at her lightly, though he grinned slightly when he realized she was covering her eyes. _Is she actually blushing?_ Sark enjoyed the idea of making Sydney embarrassed.

"I'm sorry Sark, I didn't mean to…" She hesitated. "Why are you getting dressed out here?"

"Because somebody won't give up her precious time in front of the mirror." Sark quickly pulled on his pants, covering up his boxers, and fastened the belt. "I'm decent now."

Sydney slowly uncovered her eyes. "Sark! God, would you put on a shirt?"

"Does my body intimidate you, Miss Bristow?" Sark asked cockily, leaving his upper body bare.

"Don't call me 'miss' and don't flatter yourself." She placed her hands on her hips and glared at him. "You could prance around naked for all I care. You'd only be humiliating yourself."

Sark paused for a moment, trying to come up with some witty comeback but he couldn't think of anything. "We have thirty minutes. Try not to make us late for our dinner reservation."

_I can't do it. _Sydney clenched the inside of her lip, preparing herself for what she was about to ask. "Sark…"

"Yes?" Sark didn't look at her as he slipped into his white button down silk shirt.

"I need you to zip up my dress." Sydney spit out quickly.

He looked up at her quickly. "Excuse me?"

She sighed. "I can't reach the zipper."

"Oh?" Sark sauntered towards Sydney. "Are you sure that's what you really want from me?" He slid his hand down her back slowly.

"Don't touch me you son of a bitch!" She jumped away from him and turned around with her hand prepared to strike him again. But this time he was ready and caught her wrist before she had a chance to hit him.

"You are impossible!" Sark squeezed tightly and she winced, feeling that his grip would bruise her wrist.

"And you're a bastard!" She kicked him in the calf and he released her. She rubbed her wrist and narrowed her eyes into slits. "Let's just get this night over with so I can get the hell away from you." She turned her back to him and he finished zipping up her dress.


	11. Pregnant Woman Distraction

"How did we manage to get the table directly next to Dr. Mateski?" Sydney whispered as she and Sark followed a hostess to their reserved table in the dining room.

"I have my ways." Sark replied simply. "Your turn." He nudged her slightly as they reached the table and Sydney instantly put on a smile.

"Oh my God! You're Dr. Martin Mateski, aren't you?" She held her hand to her chest as she stopped beside the man's table where he was eating with his wife, speaking loudly with a perfect English accent.

"Yes I am." He smiled up at her politely. "And you are?"

"I'm Grace Millay, and this is my husband Steven." Sydney motioned to Sark who greeted the doctor with a handshake. "I have read every article you have written."

"Oh? Does child development interest you?" Dr. Millay asked her.

"Yes, very much. As you can see, I'm about to have one of my own darlings." Sydney smiled enthusiastically.

"Well, good luck with the little one!" He smiled. "And thank you for your interest in my research."

She nodded and took the seat that Sark pulled out for her. "It really is a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Mateski."

He smiled and resumed his meal with his wife.

"You were perfect." Sark whispered to her, leaning across the table. "As always."

Sydney glared at him. "Can we please just hurry up and get this done?"

Sark nodded and wisely remained silent until the waiter had brought their food and it was time for them to perform again.

"Now, how should we do this?" Sark whispered as he withdrew the small syringe from his jacket pocket.

"Do I have options about how I'm injected?" Sydney rolled her eyes. "Just do it." She rolled up the edge of her dress, exposing her upper leg beneath the table.

"Are you certain you wouldn't prefer to do it yourself?" Sark offered.

"Yea, I'm sure. Just do it fast, please." She gritted her teeth but kept her expression calm as Sark lowered the needle towards her leg. He sighed and jammed the needle into her leg, releasing the serum quickly and then removing the needle and returning it to his pocket. "How long will it take?"

"It shouldn't be more then a minute." Sark informed her. "Are you ready?"

"Ready to what? Lay down and foam at my mouth?" She responded smugly. "Yea, I'm ready. How about you? You're the one that gets to do all the fun work."

"I will be fine." Sark checked his watch and nodded. "Just one more moment I believe." He lifted his glass of wine to his lips and sipped it slowly. As he returned it to the table Sydney let out a loud gasp and jumped out of her chair clutching at her throat.

"Grace! Honey!" Sark leapt to attention, circling his arms around her from behind and holding her up. "Please, somebody help me!"

As expected Dr. Mateski came to their aid, helping Sark to carefully lay Sydney down on the ground. "What's wrong with her?" He asked Sark quickly.

"She is having an allergic reaction." Sark explained hurriedly. He returned to the table and checked the plate that Sydney had been eating from. "The bastards!"

"What?" Dr. Mateski looked up at Sark as he kneeled beside Sydney.

"My wife is deathly allergic to sesame seeds." He told the doctor. "We asked for her meal to be free of them but the vegetables are flavored with them!"

"I don't know what to do for her Mr. Millay. I am a researcher in genetics, I don't know the first thing about allergy emergencies." Dr. Mateski admitted.

Sark shook his head. "She has medicine up in the room. Could you stay with her while I run up to get them?" Dr. Mateski nodded. "Just try and keep her calm and make sure she continues to breathe."

Sydney squeezed her eyes shut and let out a painful sounding gasp. "Steven…"

"Deep breaths honey, I'll be right back." Sark smiled at her and took advantage of the situation, quickly leaning down and kissing her forehead. "I'll hurry."

Dr. Mateski nodded and took Sydney's hand. "You are going to be alright Grace. Your husband will be right back."

Sydney nodded and took a long breath. As she released her breath she heard Sark's voice coming in clearly in the earpiece hidden beneath her thick hair.

"I am approaching his suite, Sydney, how about getting me his fingerprints." Sark requested.

Sydney felt Dr. Mateski's hand pressing against hers and she squeezed it tightly. "Dr. Mateski…" She murmured. "Is my baby going to die?"

He shook his head quickly. "Of course not Grace. Your baby is going to be fine!" As she had anticipated, Dr. Mateski took the moment to place his hand gently on Sydney's stomach.

"That dress really is amazing, in more ways then one." Sark muttered over the earpiece as Mateski's prints transmitted through the material and onto Sark's handheld computer. "Alright, I'm breaking into his laptop now. The information is downloading."

"Maybe we should call an ambulance!" Dr. Mateski's wife commented.

Sydney took a deep breath managed to shake her head. "I'll be…" She gulped. "Fine…" Her breath was shaky.

"I don't know dearie, you're really not looking well." Mrs. Mateski placed her hand gently on Sydney's forehead.

"My husband…" Sydney sputtered.

"I'm sure he'll be back momentarily." Dr Mateski tried to comfort her.

Sydney started to panic. He was taking too long. Something had gone wrong and he wouldn't get back in time with the antidote to the drug he had given her and her heart would stop and she would die. _I am not going to die because Sark is an idiot!_ Sydney decided firmly in her mind. _Please hurry Sark. I need you! _She started coughing harshly and felt like she couldn't control her body anymore. She had never felt such an overwhelming drought of strength. Just as she thought she wouldn't be able to hold on any longer and her eyelids began to slip shut, she heard a familiar voice drifting through the crowd.

"I'm here honey!" Sark broke through the crowd and dropped to his knees beside Sydney. "I've got your medicine, love." He pulled a new needle from his pocket and reached for her arm. "This is going to pinch a bit, Gracie." He located a vein in her arm and slowly slid the needle in. He injected the serum and removed the needle.

"Oh my! Does she have to go through that every time she has an attack from an allergy?" Mrs. Mateski asked in terror as Sydney's breathing began to return to normal.

Sark nodded. "When they're bad enough." He helped Sydney sit up and she leaned against him weakly. "Come now honey. Let's get you up to the room to rest."

She nodded and let him help her stand. She touched her belly gently to keep up the act of a worried mother-to-be. He noticed her unmistakable weakness and secured his arm around her waist.

"Will she be alright?" Dr. Mateski asked as Sark collected Sydney's purse from the table.

"She just needs rest. I appreciate you staying with her for me." Sark nodded to the doctor.

"Of course, I was glad to be able to help, though I'm not sure I did much." Dr. Mateski shrugged. "I hope you feel better ma'am."

Sydney managed a slight smile. "Thank you." She let her head drop against Sark's shoulder as he escorted her to the elevators and back up to their suite.

"Are you alright Sydney?" Sark asked with genuine concern as he locked the door and helped her over to the bed. She dropped down onto the bed and held her hand to her forehead.

"I'm fine." She took a few short breaths. "I didn't expect that drug to work so fast."

"I know. I never meant to put your life in danger." Sark assured her. "I took longer than expected."

"Were there complications?"

"No, not exactly. The downloading took a bit longer than I had anticipated." He shifted his weight as he stood beside the bed hesitantly watching her. "Sydney, I know you don't want me near you, but you don't look well at all!"

Sydney shut her eyes and waved her hand at him lazily. "Risk is a part of my life." She muttered softly.

"As it is in mine, however, I am not accustomed to putting the life of my partner at risk because of my careless calculations." Sark told her. He paused. "Then again, I am not particularly accustomed to having a partner to worry about either. Though you are brilliant, and you must know that I am honored to be working with you."

"Seriously Sark, I'm already feeling nauseas from whatever you injected me with, I don't need your disgusting flattery on top of it all."

"Right, of course." Sark backed away slightly, trying to act casual. Sydney watched his movements curiously and couldn't miss the awkward hesitation of his actions. He almost seemed nervous. But beyond that he seemed to be carefully avoiding offending her. "Perhaps you should rest a bit. I will go through the files we have copied and see if there is anything we could use against the Covenant."

Sydney shook her head. "No, I want to help you." She stood slowly. "Did you put the tracer on his laptop?"

Sark nodded. "When Dr. Mateski leaves the hotel we will follow him and see to whom he is selling his latest research."

"What exactly is his latest research? And why is it so important?" Sydney asked. "Doesn't he just research child development techniques?"

"That was the impression I had received, however, we must have been mistaken." Sark began downloading the information he had acquired onto his own laptop. "Aah, Sydney, you may want to have a look at this."

"What's wrong?" Sydney joined him at the desk where he was busily analyzing the information he had downloaded from Dr. Mateski's computer.

He pointed at a file he had opened. "This is the file on his latest research project."

"The information that's being sold tomorrow?" Sydney asked, leaning against the desk for balance as she read the information on Sark's laptop.

"Yes, as far as I can tell." He stood suddenly and motioned towards the chair. "Please sit down, you're still a little weak."

Sydney sat down gratefully and smiled at him slightly. "Thanks." She began to read what he had found on the downloaded information. "Artificial reproduction?"

"Keep reading." Sark instructed, pointing further down the screen.

"Weird." Sydney frowned. "I thought Dr. Mateski developed new techniques for successful child development."

"As did I." Sark agreed. "He must have changed his interests lately. Or perhaps…"

"Perhaps what?"

"Perhaps he had been hired particularly for this research, by the person who is going to be purchasing his findings."

Sydney nodded. "Yeah, that makes sense." She pointed to a line of text. "Look at this. He was researching the effect that the DNA of a birthing mother would play in the natural development of the genetics of the child who had been artificially implanted in her womb." She shook her head. "That's so wrong."

"So, why would the covenant be interested in this information?" Sark questioned out loud.

"I don't know, but the whole idea of it gives me the creeps." Sydney felt goose bumps rising on her arms as she considered the possibility of the Covenant using women for their impregnation experiments.

"Well, we ought to back it up on our own files in case it becomes useful later on, but for the time being we might as well finish up the op and pass this information on to the Covenant." Sark decided. Sydney agreed with a nod. "And now tomorrow we have to wait for Mateski to leave the hotel and then we'll follow him. Simple enough."

"Sounds good." She straightened up and glanced at the bed longingly.

"You must be exhausted." Sark took notice of her tired gaze. "You should get off to bed. I'm going to go over these files a bit more before I call it a night." He looked up at her and saw that she was struggling with the zipper on her dress. "Do you need my help again?"

Sydney hesitated but turned around and allowed him to unzip the dress without a protest. "Sark, I wasn't joking earlier when I said I wouldn't share a bed with you."

"Yes, I understood that quite well." Sark nodded. "I'll take the couch Sydney, you don't have to worry about that."

Sydney let out a sigh of relief. "Good." And she went into the bathroom to change for bed.


	12. Familiar Face

"Very good, bring it right in here, but please try to be quiet. My wife is sleeping in this morning."

Sydney woke the next morning to a knock on the door followed by Sark's hushed voice. She peeked through one eye and saw him ushering in a waiter with a tray of food. The strong aroma of coffee and bacon filled the air and a smile settled over her face. Sark handed the waiter a tip and waved him out the door before beginning to set up the table with all the food that he had ordered.

"It smells delicious…" Sydney murmured dreamily, rolling onto her stomach and stretching out her arms.

"I'm sorry, I had tried not to wake you!" Sark told her kindly.

She smiled, with her eyes still shut. "I'm ashamed for sleeping as long as I already have." She glanced at the clock on the table beside the bed. "I never sleep in!"

"I know how that is." Sark agreed with a slightly regretful sigh. "Well, are you up now, or would you like to try to sleep more?"

Sydney shook her head. "No, I'll get up."

Sark sat at the table where he had set out two plates along with all the platters of food. "Would you care for some coffee?"

Sydney started to nod then stopped. "I don't care for coffee."

Sark frowned. "I had rather though you did." He looked thoughtful. "I seem to remember you consuming quite a bit of coffee during the time that we worked together at SD-6."

Sydney sighed. "Julia does not care for coffee."

"Aah, I see." Sark nodded. "But you do not need to be Julia at this moment. It is only the two of us here Sydney, and I much prefer you as you are."

Sydney hesitated briefly before sliding out of bed and joining him at the table. "So, have we had any action on the tracer yet?"

Sark shook his head as he poured Sydney a cup of hot coffee. "If we had, don't you think I'd have woken you earlier rather than sitting here calmly and enjoying a leisurely breakfast?"

Sydney nodded and didn't bother to answer. She closed her eyes and sipped the hot coffee slowly, enjoying the strong bitter taste. When she opened her eyes she realized that Sark was staring at her, not even touching his own food.

"What?" She asked self-consciously.

"Nothing." He resumed his eating quickly.

"That look was not nothing." Sydney insisted. "Why were you staring at me like that?"

"It's just the way you were sipping your coffee. Your expression was one of sheer delight…" He pondered her carefully with his crystal-blue eyes. "I find watching you absolutely fascinating."

Sydney felt herself blushing and tried not to make eye contact with him. "My life with the Covenant has deprived me of many things I like."

"I've made you uncomfortable." Sark observed.

Sydney shook her head, determined not to let Sark believe he had any power over her, in any way. "I just think you're full of it." She stated firmly calmly.

"Oh?" Sark grinned slowly. "I'm full of it, am I?" He sipped from his coffee for a moment before shaking his head. "I assure you that I am not. I have a tendency of speaking my mind and meaning precisely what I say."

Sydney rolled her eyes. "Well, very good for you."

Sark again had no answer and for a while the two of them ate silently, neither caring to start up another conversation. A sudden beeping interrupted their quiet, alerting them to the activity on the tracker that Sark planted on Dr. Mateski's laptop. Sark hurried over to the desk, quickly tracing the movement on his own laptop. Sydney moved over to her suitcase, waiting for Sark to fill her in on their plans for the day. She hated having to wait for him to give her direction, but since this whole betraying the Covenant thing was his idea, she really felt that it should be his call about how they proceed.

"Alright, as far as I can tell he is still in the hotel, somewhere in the lobby, and his laptop been stationary for a while, so I am assuming he is eating breakfast in the restaurant." Sark informed her. "We need to be ready to follow him as soon as he leaves the hotel though."

Sydney nodded. "I'll get dressed."

…………

"How long do you think we're going to have to wait?" Sydney complained as she and Sark crouched behind a short wall where they could easily survey the alley below, where Dr. Mateski was currently waiting in his parked car. They had already been there for fifteen minutes.

"I have no idea." Sark answered lazily. "Would you like to play a game to pass the time?" He gave her a half-smile. "Or we could talk again, since it worked out so well the last time…"

Sydney turned her head towards him with an irritated sigh. "Yea Sark, let's play a game. Ever heard of the silent game?"

"Alright Agent Bristow, we can be silent. We can be serious and boring, just as you prefer everything to be." Sark settled back on his haunches and crossed his arms over his chest.

Sydney frowned. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Sark lifted an eyebrow but didn't look at her. "Nothing, nothing at all."

"God Sark! I never thought it was possible for one person to be so completely annoying." She let out a huffy breath and was silent for a minute. _I'm not going to ask him. I'm not going to care. He can be a bastard all he wants, I'm not going to fall for his charm…what am I talking about? It's not charm! It's deceit. Annoying cold-hearted deceit. _She paused. _I can't believe I'm going to do this. I know I'm going to regret it…_She turned to look at Sark. "Why did you say that I prefer everything to be serious and boring?"

"Really Sydney, I didn't mean anything by it." He told her quickly. "Please, forget I said anything."

Sydney shook her head. "It's not true." She pursed her lips tightly. "I like fun."

"Of course you do." Sark agreed obediently.

"Well you don't have to be so damn sarcastic." Sydney glared at him. "I know how to have fun. Believe me, I do." She was feeling so idiotically defensive that she even went as far as to poke him in the chest with her index finger.

He glanced down at where she had poked him and smirked. "Well, yes, I am certain you must know how to have fun when forced…"

"You are a jerk."

"I have been told so before." He shrugged. "But honestly Sydney, has it ever crossed your mind that you are in fact making this whole arrangement as difficult as you possibly can?"

"I'm sorry, but I find it unusually difficult to try and have fun when you're around!"

"I'm not talking about your lack of fun anymore Sydney."

Sydney hesitated. "Then I don't know what you're talking about."

"I believe that I have been the perfect gentleman ever since we have been working together. I haven't done anything I am aware of that should make you so terribly upset with me, have I?"

"You mean other than existing?"

"See, this is exactly what I am referring to. No matter how civil I am, or how patient I try to be, you always manage to attack me with some stinging comment or even sometimes physical attacks!" Sark accused her.

Sydney stared down at her feet. "Okay, so you sort of have a point, in a way…"

"In a way? Sydney are you bleeding psychotic?" He raised his voice slightly then quickly lowered it back down to a safe hush.

"See! You're just a…"

"If you call me a jerk one more time I swear I'm going to…"

"You're going to what? Lecture me some more?" Sydney rolled her eyes. "You're so British."

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" Sark frowned.

Sydney sighed. "I don't know. I'm not really sure what I'm saying anymore. You're just frustrating me and it's making me confused…"

"You are a strange woman Sydney Bristow." Sark informed her plainly.

"And you are an arrogant bastard Julian Sark." Sydney retorted lamely.

He couldn't help himself from letting out a low frustrated growl. "This is exactly what I am talking about. I cannot understand why you are so determined to hate me! What have I ever done to you?"

Sydney's eyes widened. "Are you kidding me? Do you seriously need an itemized list, Sark? You, all by yourself, have caused my life more stress and trouble than any person that I know of, other than Arvin Sloane. Simon Walker may have been an asshole but at least he would never hurt any of my friends."

"I hardly think that's fair…" Sark started to interrupt.

"No, it is. He's possessive and a little crazy, but he cares about me and he would protect me…" She frowned. "I think."

"I meant that it wasn't fair what you said about me. Comparing me to Arvin Sloane I mean."

"Oh, well fine, you're right. That might have been too nice. I think that you might actually be tied with Sloane! Sure, Sloane had my fiancé killed, but you murdered my best friend and had your girlfriend infiltrate my life…" Her voice was steadily growing louder.

"I tried to explain to you that he in fact was responsible for what happened to Francie, and I was not…" Sark cut in.

"And how are you going to explain Will? Or do you even remember all that time you spent torturing him for information that he didn't even have!" Sydney was almost screaming now.

Sark immediately clamped his hand over her mouth, moving towards her so that their faces were only an inch apart. "If you don't wish to get us both spotted and likely killed, you might want to consider yelling at me in a whisper from now on."

Sydney jerked away from him and glared ferociously. "I'm done yelling at you. I don't even want to think about you! I can't even look at you…" For emphasis, she turned the other way, resolutely showing him her back.

"Fine with me. I think I would much prefer your silence at this point." He moved up slowly until he could peek over the edge of the wall. Dr. Mateski's car was still the only one parked in the alley and by looking through his binoculars Sark confirmed that he was still inside the car. He continued watching the car but spoke softly to Sydney in a very flat and resigned voice. "Sydney, considering everything that has occurred between us in the past, I am feeling that this partnership may not have been the best choice for either of us. I do not see how we can successfully work together if we cannot even communicate without an argument." He paused and considered his words carefully. "After we complete our mission here in Paris and return to the Covenant, I will ask them to reinstate your partnership with Mr. Walker, and I will continue my work alone. I believe that may be what you would prefer." He stopped talking and assumed that their conversation would be over for the rest of the mission, except when absolutely necessary. "Another car is pulling up."

Sydney crouched beside him so she too could see over the edge and they waited apprehensively. He continued watching through the binoculars and she positioned the camera so they could photograph the business transaction, taking place below.

"Can you see who's driving the second car yet?" Sydney questioned.

"Not yet…" Sark answered briefly. Then he stopped.

"What's wrong?" Sydney instantly noticed that he was gripping the binoculars a bit tighter and she could tell that he was clenching his jaw tightly. "Sark, who is it?" She squinted, trying to see better but he had much better visibility than she did.

Sark cleared his throat. "Umm, Sydney, please remember that you are supposed to be dead and being seen here would be eminently bad for us both…"

"Sark…" Sydney waited for him to tell her but when the car stopped and both drivers exited their vehicles, she didn't need him to answer. She would be able to recognize him for the rest of her life, even without the familiar suits and unique designer sunglasses. "Sloane…"


	13. Obligation? Or not?

"Alright Sydney, it's time for us to go now…" Sark started moving away from the wall, being careful to keep low to the ground and as silent as possible. He turned back to make sure that Sydney was following but she was still plastered to the wall with the camera firmly fixed down towards the street. Even though he could only see the back of her, he could imagine the confused and shocked expression on her face. "Sydney, didn't you hear me? We must go now." He crawled back to her and reached for her arm. "We've done our job and now we must leave before we are spotted…"

Sydney's mouth was slightly open and her lips were moving but she was making no sound. Sark frowned, watching her curiously. She shook her head and slowly backed away from the wall, dropping to her knees.

"Sydney, are you going to be all right?" Sark asked carefully. "You look; well quite honestly you look sick…"

"I'm fine. Let's go." She tucked the camera into her bag and started crawling away from the wall.

"Are you sure you're fine?" Sark asked, following her quickly. "I know it must have been quite startling for you to see Sloane here, meeting with Dr. Mateski…"

"No, actually for some reason it's not that surprising." Sydney told him as they crept far enough away to finally stand and run the rest of their distance to where Sark had parked the car. "He always manages to end up in the middle of whatever mysterious researching project is going on."

Sark opened the passenger door for her and she glanced at him briefly before climbing into the car. He hurried around and got into the drivers' side and they left quickly. "I haven't spoken to Sloane since I was taken by the CIA, but if his activities before then haven't changed it is likely that he is still very much chasing after his Rambaldi vision…"

"And if that's true, which I'm pretty positive it is, then Dr. Mateski's research most likely has to do with some sort of Rambaldi experiment." Sydney finished his thought and he nodded. "Great. I can't escape him can I?"

Sark grinned at her. "It doesn't appear likely, does it?"

"I wonder if the Covenant has ever had contact with Sloane before." Sydney thought out loud.

"I'm not sure I see how it would make a difference." Sark told her. "Whether or not he has, he's clearly not in league with them at this time." He shrugged. "Sloane has always tended to work without too many partners. I think he finds them to be in the way of his own plans."

"He worked with you and Irina well enough." Sydney reminded him sharply.

"Actually Irina and I worked together and he more or less contributed when he felt obliged." Sark corrected her. "Such as his decision to utilize Alison as a spy in your life, without conferring with me at all on the matter…"

"Sark, I really don't want to talk about this with you anymore." Sydney cut him off abruptly. "Can we just go home?"

"Home?" Sark asked her softly.

She sighed. "Rome. Back to Rome, and to the Covenant." Under her breath she added. "That's all I've got for a home now."

Sark didn't know what to say so he wisely kept quiet and drove dutifully to the hanger where their private plane was waiting to return them to Rome.

…………

"Agent Bristow, you don't really have a choice in the matter!" Kendall reprimanded Sydney sharply during their evening meeting the day after she returned to Rome.

"But Kendall, you have no idea what a nightmare he is!" Sydney complained, flopping back onto the stiff couch.

"A nightmare?" Kendall asked with a tense sort of sarcasm in his voice.

She sighed. "He's impossible to work with! First of all he's a jerk…"

"Well, then by all means get rid of him fast!" Kendall held up his hands in mock surrender of the argument.

She glared at him but continued. "He's always bringing up things from our past and he's so irritatingly charming…"

"Charming? Really?" Kendall frowned.

"Irritating." Sydney repeated more firmly. "He's irritating because he thinks he's so charming."

Kendall made a sort of grunting sound and shifted his feet. "Irritating or not Agent Bristow, Sark may be our best link to the Covenant. He seems to hold some high level of importance in their plans and in order for us to figure out what those plans are, I think it would be best for you to keep close to Sark." He cleared his throat. "Umm, well, so to speak."

Sydney shook her head. "Life sucks." She draped an arm over her face and moaned loudly sounding very similar to some sort of dying animal. "Fine, I'll make nice and partner with Sark…but I'm not apologizing."

"I would never ask you to." Kendall told her honestly.

"Good." She swung her legs over the side of the couch and stood with a shrug. "So, what're my orders?"

Kendall motioned to a door at the side of the room they were in. "Adrian Lazarey has been waiting to speak with you."

"Right, of course." Sydney rolled her eyes. "From son to father."

"I expect that I do not need to remind you that informing Mr. Lazarey you are currently working with his son is probably not the best idea" Kendall informed her as she prepared to enter the other room.

"I'll keep it quiet." Sydney promised. "Mr. Lazarey." She greeted with her Julia accent.

Adrian Lazarey stood and held his hand out to her in greeting. "Miss Thorne it is good to see you again."

Sydney smiled and shook his hand warmly. "I hope you have not been too uncomfortable here."

"Not at all," Lazarey shook his head. "These people have been very good to me. They have made sure I am most comfortable here."

"I'm glad." Sydney smiled. "I'm sorry it has taken me so long to meet with you, but I have been kept busy."

"Of course. Your work is very important, and I am sure it is also very difficult." He smiled at her kindly.

She nodded. "Sometimes I think it's more difficult than it's worth." She changed her expression quickly. "But now we should get down to business, I believe."

"Yes, let's do." Lazarey motioned to the couch and they sat down together. Sydney showed him a folder of all the information she had managed to gather on the Rambaldi piece they were searching for. So far she had nothing more than a description and some contacts that might lead to possible locations.

"I assume you have been filled in on all that we know so far." Sydney began, and he nodded his confirmation. "Then, as a protector of Rambaldi's greatest secrets, do you have any ideas what this artifact we're pursuing might be?"

Lazarey shook his head. "I have been trying to make sense of it ever since you first came to me and told me about your work with the Covenant. You must understand I have been watching their movements for quite some time, ever since I first learned they were searching for long-lost Rambaldi artifacts. With my contacts I was able to find information which they had not yet learned, and that I expect is why they sent you to kill me." He folded his hands in his lap. "They did not want me to find the artifact before them."

"And you wanted to find it to protect it, correct?" Sydney clarified.

He nodded. "And I still do. I want to keep them from using it for their own purposes."

"Good, then I don't see us having any problems working together." Sydney smiled. "Now, I would love to leave this second and begin the hunt, but as it is I am stuck in the Covenant for a little while longer, and I'm not sure how I would be able to explain it to them if I disappeared at this time."

He nodded. "Of course I would be glad to make visits to my contacts on my own, however as I am not actually supposed to be alive…"

"Yes, that would make it a little awkward, wouldn't it?" Sydney smiled. "Well, I'm not sure exactly how long my next assignment will take, but I am supposed to be meeting with my partner this evening to discuss all the details."

"You have a partner?" Lazarey questioned.

Sydney hesitated. "Yes, the Covenant saw fit to assign me a partner for this particular case. I suppose the Rambaldi artifact is their number one priority and they are willing to put as many people as necessary on the case."

Lazarey nodded. "Of course they would. Does your partner have any helpful knowledge of Rambaldi?"

"Oh, well, yes actually he does." Sydney rolled her eyes. "I will try to work quickly and be back here as soon as possible so we can begin our own mission." She stood, handing him the folder. "While I am gone, if you need anything at all you know that Kendall will always be here for you, and he could assign someone to meet with your contacts in your place."

Lazarey thought for a moment. "There are many contacts who would not meet with any but me, but I could try with a couple perhaps."

"Good, then I will see you soon I suppose." She smiled at him as she left the room. Kendall was waiting for her. "Alright, I told him that you might be able to spare him a couple men if he needs them for anything."

Kendall nodded. "I will be sure to help him in any way I can."

"Great. Then I guess I'm off." She tugged on her jacket and slowly headed to the door. "I've got a lot of ass to kiss." She sighed. "Sark sent me back to Simon so now I've got to go crawling back to him…" She glared. "No, there won't be any crawling or begging or ass kissing. He's damn lucky to be getting me back, and he's got to earn my partnership or maybe I will just go back to Simon…"

"Agent Bristow…" Kendall warned her.

"I know, I know. I have to work with Sark." She muttered incomplete angry sentences under her breath as she left the room.

…………

"Hang on a bloody second!" Simon grumpily made his way to the door, lazily tying the belt around his silk bathrobe as he walked. "What sort of bastard are you to wake a man in the middle of the…oh it's you, is it?" He stepped back away from the door, leaving it open but not bothering to invite in his late night intruder.

Sark didn't wait for an invitation. He stepped through the door and pushed past Simon heading straight towards the bedroom.

"Hold on there mate, what the hell do you think your doin'? You can't just barge in here like this! This is my personal place you know!" Simon followed him quickly, grabbing hold of his jacket sleeve.

"I need to talk to her." Sark insisted, shoving Simon off of him and going into the bedroom. "Where is she?" He glared when he found the bed empty. He had expected her to be sleeping there.

"Who're you talking about mate?" Simon stopped at the doorway of the bedroom and crossed his arms over his chest.

"You know exactly who I am talking about Mr. Walker. Where is Julia?"

"Julia? My Jules?" Simon grinned. "Has she walked out on you then?" He leaned against the doorway with a satisfied smirk. "Can't say I didn't expect it. You aren't much her type."

In two swift steps Sark was next to Simon and had grabbed hold of his collar. "Am I to understand that she did not come back to you?" His expression was threatening but his eyes revealed a hint of excitement.

Simon frowned. "No, she didn't. Though I'm sure it's only a matter of time. I'll bet she's just gettin' herself all prettied up for me."

Sark released him and headed back towards the door. "Don't flatter yourself, _mate_. I believe you have finally lost her." He slipped his hands into his pockets and gave Simon a slight smile. "Have a nice life."

As he climbed back into his convertible Mercedes and started driving away from Simon's home, Sark couldn't explain the strange excitement that had come over him. It had taken quite a bit of convincing himself before he had actually gone to Simon's with the purpose of retrieving Sydney, and he had hated the thought of finding her back with that pathetic man. But to see that she hadn't actually gone back to Simon gave Sark a strange sense of hope.

_Why do I even care? _Sark asked himself with a frown. _What exactly is it that I'm hoping for? Do I hope that she will have realized that she doesn't want to be with Simon and she'll come back to me…_He paused and shook his head. _What would that mean anyway? Come back to me? Come back to what? Our forced partnership that seems to torture her every moment she is in it? _He sighed, realizing how stupid he was for having this debate with himself. _Just because she didn't return to Simon, doesn't mean she's going to come back to me. Maybe she's just given up all together and gone back to the CIA completely. _The vibration of his cell phone snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Hello." He answered promptly. The other line was silent for a minute and he thought they had hung up. "Hello?" He said again.

"I need to see you." She said quietly.

"Is this who I think it is?" Sark asked unnecessarily.

"Where can I meet you?"

"How about I come to you. Are you at your flat?" He asked her.

"Yes." She replied.

"I can be there in twenty minutes."

"I'll be waiting." And she hung up the phone without another word.

_Right then, I guess she is coming back to me. Or well, rather I'm going to her but it's the same idea. _Sark flipped his car in a reckless U-turn and started speeding towards Sydney's flat.


	14. I am Julia Thorne

The door opened just as he had lifted his hand to knock. Sark smiled and lowered his hand. "Well, it is nice to be greeted with such eagerness."

Sydney's lips were tight and her face expressionless as she stepped back and allowed him to enter her apartment. "I'm glad you agreed to come, Mr. Sark. There are some matters I would like to discuss with you."

"Yes, I figured that might be after what happened…"

Sydney clamped her hand over Sark's mouth quickly and shook her head. He frowned but silenced obediently. "Let me fetch my jacket and purse and then we can be off." Sark wanted to question her about where they were going but he sensed that he should still be quiet so he just nodded and waited for her to retrieve her jacket and purse from her bedroom and then returned to him at the door where he was still waiting. "Would you mind driving?"

"Not at all." Sark motioned her through the door first and then followed her down the elevator and out to where he had left his car. They were silent until they were in the car and he had begun to drive away.

Sydney leaned over to him quickly and placed her mouth directly beside his ear, whispering almost inaudibly. "Is your car clean?"

"Yes, of course it is." Sark replied in a normal tone.

Sydney let out a deep breath and settled back into her seat. "Pull over then, anywhere."

Sark nodded and quickly pulled off the road and parked the car beside a grassy park. "What is going on Sydney?"

"My place is bugged, so I knew we couldn't talk there." Sydney told him.

"Well, what is it you wanted to talk about?" He asked her, but she didn't respond right away. "Sydney?"

"That's what I want to talk about." She replied slowly.

Sark frowned. "I don't particularly understand."

"Mr. Sark, my name is Julia Thorne." Sydney told him with finality, though there was a betrayal of a waver in her tone.

"Alright, what sort of game are we playing at now, Sydney?" Sark questioned.

She shook her head. "This is the real thing, Sark. What I was doing before, playing Sydney and thinking I could get away with it…" She sighed. "That was the game."

"I don't understand." Sark frowned and twisted in his seat so he could face her better.

She could feel tears rushing to her eyes and she cursed in her head, hating to let Sark see her emotionally vulnerable. "I can't be both people anymore Sark. It's not working. I thought I could make it work with you, being myself and acting Julia on the side…"

"I thought it was working quite nicely."

Sydney shook her head. "I thought so too, or rather I had hoped so." She paused. "Seeing Sloane yesterday…realizing how the covenant is using me and how I'm letting them…"

"It's not as though they are giving you much of a choice Sydney." Sark reminded her gently. "Neither them or the CIA for that matter. Are you not instructed to remain under cover with the Covenant until the CIA learns of their agenda?"

"Yea, I know. I can't leave the Covenant, and I don't intend to." Sydney told him. "But it's getting too hard for me to be Sydney with everything that I have to face as Julia…"

"It won't last forever, Sydney." Sark reminded her. "That is what we are working for, correct? We are working to free us both from their grip."

"I know, and I hope we can do it soon…" She paused as she realized what she had said. He had noticed too and raised an eyebrow.

"_We?_ Does this mean you do not wish to break our partnership yet?"

Sydney turned to look out the window, so she wouldn't have to make eye contact with him. "Yea, I still want to work with you."

"You _want_ to work with me?" Sark almost felt inspired to laugh. "That did not sound quite genuine Miss Bristow. Could it be that your agency is forcing you to remain in this partnership and so you figured you may as well come and make the best of it?"

She felt her face flushing from embarrassment. _Why does he always seem to be so smart? _"Alright Sark, let's just get down to it." She turned to face him, clearing her throat and at the same time all traces of tears from her eyes. "You and I are going to be working together for who knows how long, and who knows what sort of things we're going to have to deal with together…"

"You mean like seeing Arvin yesterday?" Sark interrupted.

Sydney nodded. "Exactly. I don't know what they're going to have us do but I have to be prepared for anything, and in order to do that I need to seriously consider abandoning this hope of keeping my identities separate."

"What exactly are you trying to say?" Sark asked.

"I can't be Sydney anymore." She was almost whispering.

"Well, I'm afraid that might prove a bit impossible. You are Sydney Bristow. I think you have proven that no amount of mental conditioning is going to make you otherwise. So, what exactly are you proposing?"

"Simply that in order to fully cope with the Covenant's missions and demands and tests that they seem determined to keep throwing at me…"

"Like pairing you with me?"

"Exactly." Sydney nodded. "They are going to keep on pushing me to the edge and I'm afraid that one day I might not be able to handle it anymore."

"Sydney, you are stronger than you give yourself credit for." Sark told her.

She smiled slightly. "I'm afraid it's not about being strong anymore. Sark, I don't want to be Sydney anymore. I can't be both people and being Julia is easier to deal with at this time." She stared at him, making sure he was listening intently. "When I was with Simon it was easy for me to become Julia. He has never known Sydney and so there was no need for differentiating; I was Julia Thorne. With you, I don't have the luxury of forgetting my past…in order for us to work together successfully I need you to understand my reasoning to become Julia again, and I need you to respect my choice."

Sark nodded slowly. "I do understand Sydney…" He paused. "Forgive me, I meant Julia." He held out his hand to her as he had the first time they made a deal together. "Miss Julia Thorne, if you are willing, I would like to have the pleasure of you as my partner, if you would agree."

Sydney felt an urge to smile and she slipped her hand into his formally. "I do agree." They shook on it and he held her hand a moment longer than necessary before releasing it. "But we must work on the whole name situation, because honestly Julia and Julian…we sound like a pair of twins with cruel parents, or some tacky old married couple." She laughed and then blushed realizing what she had said. "Not that we seem married or anything…"

Sark smiled briefly. "Of course not. That would imply that we actually enjoy one another's company."

"Yes, and we both know what a lie that would be." Sydney agreed quickly, though not as firmly as she would expect, considering how true she knew the statement to be. _Right? I don't enjoy his company…do I?_ She hurriedly shook off the thought.


	15. Taking Charge

_A/N: I just want to say that I hope this chapter goes over well. It's a bit unusual I suppose, but I was in one of those moods and I just couldn't help myself. I actually really enjoyed writing it. I was picturing it in my mind and it seemed so entertaining, so I hope it has the same effect on all you readers! Please review and let me know! _

………………………………………

"Julia, could you be a doll and fetch me that jacket over there?" Sark motioned to a chair in the hotel suite that he and Sydney were sharing in Amsterdam on their latest mission. They had been sent to make contact with one of the Covenant's arms suppliers, Jakob Zimmerman. This particular supplier had recently been seen doing business with a man, Silas Okenberg, who might have information for the Rambaldi object they were searching for. In order to find Okenberg, Sark and Sydney had been instructed to obtain his whereabouts from the supplier.

Sydney grabbed the jacket, curiously checking the label on the inside. She smirked. "Armani? Really Sark, would a little casual dressing hurt you all that much?"

"Why would I want do anything like that?" He questioned jokingly. "I am quite content with my style, thank you, and truthfully I believe you care for it much more than you let on." He slipped into the sleek black suit jacket and adjusted it while looking in the mirror.

Sydney rolled her eyes at the back of his head. "Well, at least you get to wear clothes you are comfortable in." She motioned to her own attire and noticed the grin that spread over his lips.

"But Julia, darling, you look…" He momentarily seemed at a loss of words as he let his eyes take her in. She could see them shimmering with either amusement or attraction, though neither thought was really comforting at the moment. "You look ravishing."

"Sark, I look like a two-dollar whore." She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest and shrugging her shoulders. "I wish for once we could meet with a respectable contact who did not need to be seduced or deceived by sex or money."

"Well, that is a rather large wish." Sark pointed out. "And as we do happen to be in Holland, where prostitution is legal, and considerably encouraged…"

"There is no need to remind me." She squirmed slightly, trying to adjust herself to the outfit. "I think my leather brassiere is enough of a reminder."

Sark cleared his throat awkwardly, trying not to stare at her skimpy clothing that she was pointing out, but it was difficult to look away. She had an amazing body. He had always known it, but he had never quite had such an opportunity to enjoy the view as she was now giving him.

"Sark? Are you alright?" Sydney interrupted his thoughts suddenly.

Realizing that he had been abnormally silent and hadn't taken his eyes off of her, Sark quickly looked away, pretending to busy himself with the red silk tie that nicely contrasted with the black shirt and complete suit. "Yes, quite, thank you." Sydney frowned but nodded and finished preparing herself for the mission.

"Alright, so you are clear on our agenda, correct?" Sark spoke up after a few moments of silence.

Sydney nodded. "Yes, it shouldn't be too difficult." She straightened out the leather gloves that reached up to her elbows and smiled at him slightly. "How do I look?"

Sark again felt that actually speaking would betray his growing attraction to her, so he simply nodded and turned his back to her. She stared at his back quizzically, taking his silence as a negative response.

"Alright then, I suppose we may as well go." Sydney pulled a knee-length jacket on over her skimpy outfit and headed towards the door. Sark followed her quickly.

They knew that Zimmerman patrolled the street corners nightly to find himself a companion for the evening, and so their plan was simple. Sydney would wait on the corner and entice Zimmerman to choose her, and once they were alone, Sark would join them and the interrogation could begin.

When they neared the corner Sark touched Sydney's arm to stop her. "I will wait here where I can keep an eye on you and make sure that nothing goes wrong." Sydney felt a little uncomfortable with the idea of Sark watching her seduce a man, but she nodded and didn't argue. "Once you have persuaded him to go with you, I will head to our meeting place and wait there for you."

"Sounds simple enough." She removed her jacket and handed it to him. "It's a bit chilly…" She smiled slightly, trying to make the situation less awkward. "I hope the wait will not be too long."

Sark nodded as she started walking away. "Julia…" She glanced over her shoulder at him. "You do look good."

"Thanks." She turned quickly away to conceal the smile that melted over her face.

Reaching the already whore-populated corner, Sydney did her best to blend in, noting that all her attributes were perfectly displayed in the tight-fitting black leather corset and short leather mini skirt. She waited impatiently for almost ten minutes, nervously licking her lips and repeatedly tucking her hair behind one ear. She was perfectly aware that Sark was watching her every move and the idea made her very self-conscious. Only a moment later Sydney spotted the target approaching the corner where she was waiting. She quickly threw back her shoulders and stretched out her leg so he'd have full view of her fishnet stockings and knee-high boots.

Zimmerman glanced at her immediately, clearly interested in her physical appearance. Sydney just barely smiled at him, enough to show acknowledgement but remaining neutral enough to leave an air of mysterious nonattachment.

"Good evening," Zimmerman greeted her with a very pleased smile.

She nodded to him curtly, but made just enough movement with her upper body to entice him to continue to stare. "Good evening."

He took one more intense up and down look before letting his gaze drift over to the three other girls who were hoping for his business. He smiled briefly at Sydney and began to move away from her. Desperate not to lose him, she turned her charm on fully, trying to ignore the fact that she was being thoroughly watched by Sark.

"Sir…" She placed one gloved hand on his arm, her index finger slowly trailed up to his shoulder and then she let two fingers travel over to his neck, tantalizingly. "How would you enjoy having the best night of your life?"

Zimmerman paused and turned back to her, eyeing her dancing fingers with heightened interest. She now tickled her way up to his ear. "Oh? And how would you assume to do that?"

She leaned closer to him, slightly pressing her body up against his, letting him feel just enough of her leather covered curves to raise his arousal. Whispering with her lips feathering against his ear, she said: "Take me home and you will find out."

He hesitated. "We cannot go to my home, my dear."

"Aah, a wife?" Sydney asked knowingly, slipping her arm around his neck. "I know somewhere we can be alone." She brushed her lips across his jaw line. "And then I can show you what I am capable of."

Zimmerman considered it for a moment and then nodded. "Yes, I seem to be finding your offer…" He paused and let his hand roam freely over her ass. "Very tempting."

Sydney did her best not to slap his hand away from her body and instead forced herself to move into his touch, continually encouraging him. "Tempting?" She let the word roll of her tongue and then licked her lips. "Is that all?" She knew it was time to close the deal and quickly closed the space between the two of them, latching her lips onto his and quickly slipping her tongue inside his eager mouth. When she pulled away from him she knew that he was hooked. "So?"

He seemed momentarily unable to speak and so he simply nodded. She smiled and placed her hand on his arm, guiding him away from the street and down a side alley.

"In an alley?" Zimmerman chuckled slightly. "Well, it will be a first for me."

Sydney didn't answer but soon reached the door she was looking for. It would have been unnoticed by one who wasn't searching for it. She pushed it open and motioned him inside. He seemed curious but he was very obedient. She followed him in and closed the door, sliding a metal bar down to lock it. Now he was looking a bit more then curious. He was actually starting to look afraid.

"Alright…" He glanced around the very dark room with a slight frown.

Sydney didn't let her smile waver. "What's wrong?" She crooned, slipping her finger over his lips and down to the collar of his business shirt. "Do you trust me?"

He nodded slowly. "Yes, I suppose…"

"Good." Sydney kissed him again and withdrew two pairs of handcuffs from a garter beneath her skirt. He raised his eyebrows but then slowly grinned. _Pervert._ Sydney thought to herself as she directed him over to a simple four-posted bed against a wall and ordered him to undress down to his briefs and then to lie on his back. He seemed surprised to see a bed in an empty warehouse style building but obliged her immediately. She then proceeded to handcuff his hands out in a V above his head.

"Is it your turn now?" He asked with a grin as she raised her leg, balancing her foot on the edge of the bed and slid the garter off her left thigh.

She paused for a second then smiled. "Not quite yet." She pulled a pin out of the garter and it lengthened out into two separate silky ropes, which she used to bind his ankles to the bedposts. When she was certain he was secure she stepped back and crossed her arms over her chest. "All finished." She spoke loudly and Zimmerman frowned.

"You are incredible, which you must know." Sark told Sydney as he stepped out of the dark shadows where he had been watching her.

Sydney smiled slightly. "Thank you, I do know, but it is always nice to hear."

"What is this?" Zimmerman demanded, struggling against his bonds.

"Mr. Zimmerman, your current position does not exactly give you much room for discussion, or debate, so you would do well to simply listen." Sark informed him firmly. "We are aware that you have recently met with Silas Okenberg."

Zimmerman stared with his eyes wide in surprise and slight contempt, but he remained resolutely silent.

"Unlike you, Okenberg is impossible to locate," Sark continued calmly. "What we need from you is a way to contact him."

Zimmerman shook his head. "I do not know what you are talking about."

Sydney shrugged. "I had hoped you would not be so difficult, but I see that I was wrong." She glanced at Sark who placed a briefcase on the end of the bed and propped it open. From inside, he withdrew a camera and a portable email device to hook up to the camera. "Earlier I discerned that you do have a wife waiting for you at home." She moved over to the bed and crawled onto it, positioning herself in a kneeling position with Zimmerman's head in her leather-clad lap. "Whenever your ready…" She motioned to Sark who instantly began snapping pictures while Sydney maneuvered herself in scandalous positions around Zimmerman's body.

He finally started laughing. "You are wasting your time."

Sydney stopped briefly and glared at him. "I do not think you fully comprehend the gravity of this situation. If your marriage is at all pleasant, I would not expect your wife to enjoy these photographs, which my partner is preparing to send to her."

Zimmerman made an effort to shrug. "My wife and I are very happy. But I do not believe we could be so if I did not spend most of my nights obtaining physical pleasure from other women."

Sark looked doubtful. "Mr. Zimmerman, are you trying to tell us that your wife is aware of your indiscretions?"

When Zimmerman nodded, Sydney frowned. "This always works with the married guys!" She shook her head and slid off the bed. She moved towards Sark who was scowling, clearly trying to figure out an alternate way of persuading him into speaking.

"So, shall we proceed with the typical torture?" Sark suggested.

Sydney shook her head. "I have a better idea." A slow smile stretched across her lips.

Sark took notice of her smirk instantly. "Julia, I do not particularly trust that expression…"

She lifted an eyebrow, turning to look at him. "I think it is your turn to be the whore." His eyes showed a brief expression of terror. "Get undressed."

"Julia, what are you playing at?" He took a step back from her, as though afraid she would force him to do something.

"I believe I am being perfectly clear." Sydney placed her hands on her hips. "Take off your clothes and get on the bed."

"Absolutely not!" Sark glanced at Zimmerman who looked equally horrified at Sydney's orders.

Sydney shrugged. "It is our best option. Zimmerman's wife may not be surprised at his frequent affairs, but I doubt she would be as receptive if he was not having affairs with women." She glanced at their captive and his expression solidified her assumption. "There is no time for an argument right now Sark."

"You are trying to punish me for something!" He decided suddenly. "Tell me what I did to make you want to torture me!"

"If you take a moment I believe you could figure it out." Sydney gave him a sharp look and she noticed him clenching his teeth in comprehension. "Now, take off your clothes and join Mr. Zimmerman on the bed."

"You are mad woman!" Zimmerman spoke up suddenly. He cursed and continued struggling against the handcuffs. "I can see that he is not going to obey you! You have nothing on me!"

Sydney noticed that Sark was no closer to complying. "You are making me very impatient." She reached out to him and started tugging on his silk tie. "I will undress you by force if necessary."

His lip twitched upward briefly at the idea. "Yes, well as enjoyable as that could be, I think I would still prefer to remain clothed." He took her hand and pried it away from his tie. "However, when we return to the hotel I would be happy to indulge you…"

"Sark, we need this." Sydney insisted with a determined scowl. She leaned close and whispered in his ear. "Do you want to bring down the covenant or not? This man could help us reach our goal! There are times when we all have to do things we do not enjoy."

He gritted his teeth but finally nodded. "You should know that I will be certain to make you pay for this." He quickly began removing his suit jacket. He carefully draped it over the end of the bed before removing his tie and shirt. When he began unfastening his pants, Sydney realized she was staring, and quickly diverted her eyes, though not before he noticed her watching him. When he had removed everything but his boxers Sark started moving towards the bed.

Sydney tried not to laugh at the awkward situation she was forcing Sark into, but something about it felt so justified she couldn't help but grin as she continued to order him around. "You need to make this believable."

Sark glared at Sydney and then turned his sharp eyes on Zimmerman. "Please do not make me do this!"

"You would never!" Zimmerman didn't look as doubtful as he tried to sound.

Sydney held up the camera and motioned for Sark to move onto the bed. For the first time ever, Sydney saw a frightened streak in Sark. He was always perfectly composed and almost without expression, but now his bright blue eyes revealed that he could actually have feelings. After another moment of hateful hesitation Sark climbed on the bed, though being careful not to get too close to Zimmerman.

"Smile for the camera!" Sydney started clicking away. "I am certain your wife will be amazed to find out exactly what you have been doing with your nights away from home."

"Alright! Alright! Please don't send those to my wife!" Zimmerman broke, and Sydney thought he might actually be close to tears. Sark instantly jumped off the bed and moved farther away than necessary from the other man.

She slowly lowered the camera. "Tell us what we need to know."

"Silas Okenberg has a house in Venice. He stays there nine months out of the year. I can write you the address." Zimmerman spoke quickly.

"Where is he for the other three months of the year?" Sydney asked.

"I am not sure. He travels a lot!" Zimmerman exclaimed desperately.

"That is not the answer I was looking for." Sydney sighed, beginning to attach the pictures for email.

"I swear! I haven't any idea! But I know that he will be in Venice now! At least for four more months!" He nodded furiously. "I promise! That is the best I can do though!"

Sydney looked at Sark who nodded. "You will give us the address and we will search him out in Venice. If we do not find him, we will send these emails in the same second, understood?"

Zimmerman nodded quickly. "He will be there! I am certain of it."

While Sark began to redress, Sydney untied Zimmerman and handed him a pad and a pen for him to write the address.

"Remember, if he is not there…"

"He will be!" Zimmerman insisted. He gathered up his clothes eagerly. "Now can I please go? I told you what you wanted!"

Sydney unlocked the door and motioned for him to leave. "I hope for your marriage sake you are telling the truth." Zimmerman nodded again and darted out into the night, still clutching his clothes.

Once they were alone Sydney released a much-needed laugh. Sark paused halfway through buttoning up his shirt and frowned at her. "Are you laughing at me?"

Sydney shook her head but then nodded. "I have to admit that putting you into the uncomfortable position for a change was very enjoyable."

Sark pulled on his jacket without bothering to finish buttoning and scowled. "Do not forget that I will find a way to even the score." He headed for the door, draping his tie around his neck. "Pack up the equipment."

Sydney continued grinning to herself as she reloaded the briefcase and hurried to catch up with Sark.


	16. Emotional Breakdown

_A/N: Okay this section is longer then most of my updates, but I couldn't find a good place to stop it, so it's just going to be long! But that means long reviews, right? Well I hope you all enjoy! And thanks to everyone who has been so faithfully reviewing so far! It's really encouraging, especially since I wasn't sure how this story was going to work out. Writing an 'Alias' fic was sort of juts a whim, but with all the positive feedback, I've become very attached to this story! _

……………

Sydney let out a deep sigh of contentment as she lazily leaned back in the gondola, in which she and Sark were being paddled around the Venetian channels. He watched her with an expressionless face, though his eyes were shining with a smile.

"You look happy, Julia." Sark commented.

She squinted against the sun and smiled. "I love everything about this place. I do not know how I could live in the same country and never have visited before." She smiled at Sark purposefully and he nodded. He still had not fully adjusted to Sydney becoming Julia, and he knew she hadn't either, but both were working hard and he had done his part in respecting her wishes completely.

"The next time we have a rest from work, I suggest we come here for a purely relaxing visit." Sark suggested nonchalantly, hardly even considering what he had said.

Sydney glanced up at him quickly, readjusting herself to a more serious sitting position. "Sark, apart from work, we do not go on trips together." She reminded him with a sharp but gentle tone. "Vacations are for couples, which we are not."

He nodded, now realizing his error in the innocent proposition. "Of course Julia, I did not mean…" He let his sentence drop off realizing that he had meant it exactly as it sounded. She would never understand that, because she could never understand the effect she had on him. So he chose to stay silent and let her think what she wanted. "Ah, we have arrived." He stood as the small boat was pulled near to the edge of the pavement in front of the hotel they were staying at. Sark paid their fare and stepped out of the boat, turning to offer Sydney his hand. "We have thirty minutes until we need to be at the party…"

"I still think we could have found a better way to approach Okenberg." Sydney muttered as she let Sark help her out of the boat and then they retrieved their luggage.

"Julia, we must use whatever possible to our benefit. This party is possibly going to be the last that he hosts for the season. You wouldn't want to miss our chance, would you?" He eyed her carefully, analyzing her expression for any hint of her mood. She gave him nothing. "Are you going to cooperate?"

"Of course." She smiled faintly. "You know that I would never let emotional inclinations interfere with professional requirements."

Sark nodded. "Very good. Then shall we?" He held his arm out to her and she took it obediently."

…………

"Welcome!"

Sydney and Sark froze as they entered the foyer of the enormous Venetian mansion. They had anticipated being able to blend in with the numerous guests, not to be greeted personally by Mr. Okenberg himself. Sark quickly took the initiative, putting on his most formal air, which really wasn't much of an act for him.

"Sir, it is such an honor to be at one of your infamous parties!" Sark smiled broadly and held his hand out to the host.

Silas Okenberg nodded and shook Sark's hand responsively. "Thank you indeed. May I ask, though, who you might be?"

Now it was Sydney's turn to act. She smiled flatteringly and gracefully ran a hand through her long, straight red wig. "I believe you know my father, Lord Winters. I am Adele."

Okenberg gasped. "You are the daughter of Lord and Lady Winters?" Sydney nodded. "Forgive me for not recognizing you. I have known your father for years, but have never had the pleasure of making your acquaintance!" He bowed his head and kissed her hand adoringly. "I was under the impression that you and your family would not be able to attend this evening."

Sydney nodded. "My parents could not, but I refused to miss such an anticipated event!" She acknowledged Sark. "This is my fiancé, Edward Berkley."

Okenberg looked at Sark with a new appreciation. "Congratulations for the both of you."

"Thank you." They replied in unison, sounding more like a couple then Sydney cared to admit.

"Please enjoy yourselves this evening! And if there is anything at all you need, do not hesitate to ask!" Okenberg grasped both their hands together briefly before bidding them into the party.

Once they were clear from his hearing Sydney turned to Sark with slightly accusing, and slightly amazed eyes. "How did you know that Adele Winters would not be attending this evening? And how did you know he wouldn't know what she looked like?"

Sark just shrugged and smiled. "I have my sources." He readjusted his hand so it was settled in the small of her back. "Now, let us take care of business and then possibly enjoy the party a bit."

Sydney felt herself smiling, despite the fact that she was playing the part of Sark's fiancé, whom she was supposed to be madly in love with. "I assume your sources have also given you intimate knowledge of the interior of this monstrosity of a house?"

Sark nodded as he led her towards the base of an ornate marble staircase leading up to the second floor. "If my assumptions are correct, he will be storing the information in his study, which is at the west end of the second floor."

"We should move quickly. Okenberg may have fallen for us, but there could be someone at this party who actually is acquainted with Adele Winters." She smiled. "The real Adele."

Sark nodded curtly and took a sudden left, pulling Sydney with him. He reached the door he was looking for and pushed it open slowly while Sydney took position of guard, glancing up and down the hallway to check for security. After poking his head into the room he tugged on Sydney's arm and they entered the room, closing the door behind their entrance.

"Go through the files and drawers, I will check the computer." Sark instructed and Sydney obliged without debate.

"Have you ever considered how Rambaldi's followers always seem to be rich and prestigious? How do they manage to keep their obsessions so discreet when their lives are so public?" Sydney observed as she shuffled through numerous papers concerning seminars, galas, and other such affairs a wealthy Italian would be involved in.

Sark shrugged. "Perhaps their pretentious lives are a decent cover for their true hobbies. People rarely look past the surface when it is decorated enough."

Sydney nodded her agreement and resumed her searching. Only a few moments later Sark had located a computer file storing all the information Okenberg had collected on Rambaldi, which is what they had been pursuing. Sark quickly pulled a small storage chip from his pocket and copied the information from Okenberg's computer.

"Finished." Sark announced, removing the chip and shutting off the computer.

"Good." Sydney took the chip from him and instinctively glanced towards the door. She clenched her teeth. "Someone's coming."

Sark jumped away from the computer and moved to her side. He reached his hand towards the doorknob but before they had a chance to escape, the doorknob turned and the door swung open. Without even a second's hesitation, Sark forced her over to the wall, placing his hands on either side of her head and pressing his lips aggressively against hers. Out of instinct, Sydney tried to jerk her head away from him but she was firmly up against the wall and when she took a second to consider, she realized that pulling away from him would seem suspicious and break their cover as fiancés. She had no choice but to respond to his kiss, returning it in full. She still held the storage chip, but luckily her hands had been trapped between their bodies and were hidden from whoever had entered the room.

"What the hell are you doing in here?" The intruder demanded.

Without breaking the kiss, Sydney maneuvered her hands slowly until she was able to slip them inside of Sark's jacket, letting them explore down his chest until she had located the inside pocket of his jacket. She dropped the chip into the pocket and then pulled her hands away. Despite her defiance, Sydney felt herself melting into his kiss, urged on by the passion with which his lips were attacking hers.

"I asked a question!" The voice boomed again and this time it was accompanied by the unmistakable click of a gun being cocked.

Sark separated his lips from Sydney, seeming a bit reluctant, and turned to the demanding guard. "What does it look like we are doing?" He scowled slightly. "Would you mind removing that gun from my face? It is not exactly the way I enjoy being treated at a party!"

Sydney decided it would be wise for her to let Sark do all the talking since he seemed to have this under control, plus she was still trying to recover her calm after the unsettling emotions that had raged through her body from his close contact with her.

"This room is not open to visitors." The guard informed them firmly.

Sark made a show of irritation. "Well, there should be a sign then." He reached his hand back and Sydney took it, allowing him to pull her closer to himself.

"Andre, what is going on in here?" Okenberg wandered through the doorway and frowned when he spotted the situation. "Why are you pointing a gun at Miss Adele and her fiancé?"

Andre, the guard, seemed puzzled by his boss's calmness. "I found them in here, unsupervised." He explained.

"I see." Okenberg lifted an eyebrow curiously. "Andre makes a good point. What were the two of you doing in here? I prefer to keep my study private."

Sydney smiled apologetically. "We really should have known better then to wander at our own will." She rubbed up his arm endearingly. "Your party is delightful, but Ed and I were…" She put on a show of being suddenly bashful and continued in a slightly quieter voice. "We were wanting some time alone…"

Sark smirked. "We have only been engaged for a short time. I still find it difficult to keep my hands off of her." He leaned in for another kiss and in order to keep up the charade she once again had to oblige him. She giggled into his mouth as his lips closed around hers, and she slid her hand up to his neck.

Okenberg watched in amusement for a moment before holding up his hand to stop them. "Of course, a young couple like you deserve every moment together you can obtain." He motioned for Andre to put away his weapon. "I would prefer it though if you kept your intimate time out of my study." He led them out of the room. "If you would care for time alone I have plenty of spare bedrooms I would be pleased for you to make use of."

Sydney tried not to act surprised by the offer. "Thank you, Mr. Okenberg, but I am already embarrassed about our behavior! It would be indecent of us to sneak off to a bedroom for our own entertainment at your party." She dropped her gaze to the ground. "I do apologize for intruding on your private study!"

"Not at all, dear girl. I want my guests to enjoy themselves in whatever way they choose." He winked at Sark. "If I had a fiancé as beautiful as you, I would not be able to restrain myself either, Mr. Berkley."

Sark returned the wink. "It is a challenge." He secured his hand on Sydney's waste as they headed for the stairs. "And please, call me Edward."

Okenberg nodded. "Now, I must leave you and attend to my other guests. But do enjoy the rest of the evening, and remember if you choose, the spare bedrooms are on the third floor. Ask any of my servants and they would be glad to show you the way."

"Thank you." Sydney and Sark once again responded in unison.

When Okenberg had left them, Sydney rounded on Sark with fiery eyes. "What the hell were you doing back there?"

"Saving our cover!" Sark defended himself.

"By shoving your tongue down my throat?" Sydney tried to keep her face calm while her voice was threatening him in a harsh whisper. "I warned you to keep your physical urges to yourself!"

"Darling, you must understand that if I had not thought quickly we would have been exposed…"

"There could have been another way!" Sydney insisted, though in her mind she realized that was a bit of a lame come back.

Sark shrugged. "Payback."

"Excuse me?" Sydney gasped slightly.

"I told you I would find a way to pay you back for your playtime last week in Holland." He smirked proudly as though he had won the conversation.

Sydney scowled. "Bastard."

"Is that any way to talk to your fiancé, Adele?"

She rolled her eyes. "You are so full of…" Her words dropped off and he noticed her eyes drifting to someplace in the room behind him. "Kiss me."

Her words froze Sark for one of the first times he could remember. He absolutely could not respond. He only stared at her and waited for someone to wake him up, because he was certain the only time Sydney Bristow would give him that sort of demand would be in his dreams.

"Dammit Sark, kiss me!" Sydney threw her arms around his neck and pulled his body against hers, stepping backwards until she once again found her back pressed up against a wall. Since he still wasn't responding Sydney took control by leaning towards him and capturing his confused lips with hers, kissing him with surprising ferocity.

His mind reeled with all the reasons why Sydney Bristow would be kissing him without any reasonable motive. Only moments ago she was scolding him for kissing her as a cover and now she had latched herself onto him like a horny high school kid. Of course after only a few moments of puzzlement, Sark eagerly started reciprocating her actions, matching her aggression with his own. Their heated make-out session continued for almost a full five minutes before Sydney broke it by pushing him back off of her.

"Alright, that was…" He gasped momentarily to regain control of his breathing. "That was very unexpected." When he had mostly recovered his senses, he chanced a glance at Sydney to see what her expression was. He was shocked to see tears gathered in her eyes. "Why are you crying?"

She shook her head. "I can't…" the tears caught in her throat. "I can't do this."

Sark frowned. "I have possibly never been so confused before. And I used to work for Sloane." He added with a slight smile. She glanced over his shoulder again and he sensed that the kiss had a reason that he was not grasping. Without asking her about it, Sark wrapped his arm around her shoulders and guided her towards the door. "Let's go. This party has been enough fun for one night."

Sydney didn't argue and she didn't protest to his arm around her. When they reached the freedom of the chilling night air Sark automatically removed his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. He waved for a taxi-boat to pick them up and while they waited he watched her sadness from the corner of his eye.

"Julia…" He began, but he noticed her tensing up and silenced. "Do you not want to be Julia anymore?"

She let a desperate sigh escape from her lips and shook her head. "I saw…" She squeezed her eyes shut and he could see her emotional pain. "Vaughn." She murmured at last. "He was in there."

"What?" Sark frowned. It was not the answer he had been expecting. "Michael Vaughn is at the party?"

She nodded. "With his wife."

Sark suddenly understood what had caused Sydney's sudden emotional breakdown and he unconsciously tightened his arm around her. The taxi-boat reached the dock and Sark helped Sydney into it. As she sat down, she glanced briefly back towards the party, but then just as quickly looked away.

"They are at the entrance." She whispered, keeping her head turned the opposite direction.

Sark dared a glance and instantly spotted Sydney's ex at the doorway with his arms around a blonde woman, dressed in an elegant black dress, with a large diamond sparkling from her ring finger.

"Leave quickly, please." He ordered the driver of the boat, and the man obliged, hurriedly pushing away from the dock and putting distance between them and the couple at the party. "They didn't see us."

Sydney nodded. "Good."

"For the record," Sark mumbled softly. "She is not very pretty."

"That's not true." Sydney managed a weak smile. "But I appreciate you saying it."

The situation had turned awkward so quickly Sark wasn't quite sure how to respond to it all. He had never witnessed Sydney in such an emotional state, but here she was in a nearly hysterical, crying miserably, and feeling (he imagined) possibly the worst she had ever felt. He felt a need to comfort her, but he didn't know how to do so without making her more upset. He began hating Michael Vaughn for torturing Sydney by flaunting his new romance, no matter how unintentional it might be.

_Why do I care? _Sark scowled momentarily, but in that moment he realized exactly why he card so much. He cared because he cared about her. He hated seeing her hurt and he hated that he couldn't do anything to save her from the life she was being forced to live.

He watched her carefully. Her cries had begun to dissolve and now were no more noticeable then slight gurgling gasps. Unable to restrain his urge to help anymore, he slowly wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pressing his fingers gently against her skin. He was shocked when she didn't try to resist. Instead she maneuvered herself until she was comfortable with her back resting up against his chest. She let out a deep sigh and dropped her head onto his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry…" she murmured softly. She was so quiet he had to lower his head in order to hear her. "I feel like I'm falling apart…"

"It's alright." He shushed her, tenderly pressing his cheek against the top of her head and letting his lips brush across the hair of her wig. "We can talk later. Try and relax now."

Sydney tried to sort her mind out enough to understand what had just occurred but every time she tried to run through it consciously, she kept seeing Vaughn with that other woman and it became too painful for her to think about. She moved herself slightly and felt Sark's fingers brushing softly against her bare arm. For a moment her trained instincts kicked in and she started to move away from him. The next instant though she considered everything that had been happening and all that she had experienced, and she realized the stubborn determination that kept telling her Sark was her enemy was becoming a little silly. They had been working together for weeks and he had so far been nothing but flattering and helpful to her. In a way, all her past dealings with him, before the Covenant, were starting to become insignificant when compared to his present role in her life. He was becoming an almost enjoyable ally.

"Sark…" She hesitated, not quite sure what she wanted to say. "I…" She sighed. "Thank you."

A smile tugged at Sark's thin lips. "Did you just thank me? Voluntarily?"

Sydney rolled her eyes. "Don't get used to it."

Despite the sarcasm in her voice Sark could tell that something had changed with how she perceived him. The largest hint to the fact was that she didn't move away from him, nor did she give him any of her typical bitter remarks or harsh insults. He enjoyed the difference, and excitedly anticipated the possibility of their relationship continually progressing into something more positive and less brutal on her half.

When they reached the hotel, Sark once again helped Sydney step up out of the boat and held his arm around her as they made their way through the lobby and up to her room.

"Are you feeling any better?" Sark asked as she fished through her purse for the key. He had every intention of leaving her at the door, but one look at her still hopelessly miserable expression convinced him that she wasn't yet stable enough to be alone.

"I'm sorry Sark." Sydney mumbled as she pushed open the door and leaned against the frame.

"Why do you continue to apologize?" He offered her a slight smile. "You have done nothing wrong!"

She hung her head, dropping her eyes to the floor. "I let my emotions get the better of me! I compromised the mission!"

He shook his head. "You never could have known that he would be there. It was unexpected, and under the circumstances I think you covered perfectly." He thought back to the intense kiss she had given him in order to hide from Vaughn's view and almost smiled. It was one of the best he had ever experienced, though he'd never let her have that knowledge.

"I was immature and unprofessional…"

"You were perfect Sydney!" He stopped himself suddenly. "Or, Julia…" Sydney lifted her eyes up to him and he say the tears returning. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…"

Sydney moved into her room while Sark hesitated outside the door, unsure whether or not he should follow. "I loved him with my whole heart…and I thought he felt the same. I thought I was everything to him." She dropped onto the edge of the bed. "Nine months shouldn't have mattered, not if he really loved me. He should have waited." The tears spilled out of her eyes and trickled down her cheeks, leaving pitiful trails of watery mascara leading down to her chin. "He doesn't love me anymore. He doesn't need me." Sark cautiously moved closer to her, desperately wanting to hold her. "I am dead to him, and I am dead to that life." Her sobs started catching in her throat and he quickly retrieved a box of tissues from the bathroom. "I can't do this anymore Sark!"

"Can't do what exactly?" Sark finally dared to sit on the bed beside her.

"I don't know who I'm supposed to be anymore! I don't want to be Julia. It's not who I am, but I don't want to be Sydney anymore either." She sighed. "I can't be Sydney anymore."

Sark took a chance and slipped his arm around her back. "Who do you want to be then?" He asked her with a slightly teasing tone. "You can be anyone that you want to be."

She let out a slight chuckle. "God, you must think I'm pathetic."

"Hardly." Sark's hand moved up her back and he slowly started massaging the base of her neck. "I cannot pretend to understand what you are going through right now Sydney. You have been forced to deal with extraordinary life changes that nobody should have to experience, and you have been brave throughout it all. To be quite honest, I am impressed that you have survived this long without any sort of complete mental or emotional collapse."

"And what exactly do you call this?" Sark's hand moved to her hair, stroking slowly through the long wig. She felt it pulling at her scalp and reached up to remove it. "He looked so happy."

Sark frowned for a minute, trying to figure out exactly what she was talking about but then he realized she was referring to Vaughn. He didn't know how to respond, so instead he remained silent and began unbraiding her own long hair, which she had pinned up beneath the wig.

"It's never going to be how it was…" She sighed. "Even if we succeed and bring down the Covenant…" He raised his eyebrow briefly. "I mean, when we bring down the Covenant…" She corrected herself quickly. "When I am done being Julia, what will I go back to?" Her tears had finally started to dry on her face but her voice still betrayed her shaky emotional state. "Everything is gone. My life that I had is gone. I don't even know what I'm working for anymore!"

"You are working for your freedom. You are working to destroy the bad guys. It is what you do. You fight for the good." He lowered his voice to a tone of sincerity. "That is who you are, Sydney. You are a fighter, and a good person."

She looked at him suddenly, feeling like she was seeing a new side of him, but she couldn't quite decipher it fully yet. "I can't figure you out Sark."

He smiled quizzically. "Should I take that as a compliment?"

She shrugged. "Perhaps." Her momentary contentment evaporated as her mind once again flashed back to seeing Vaughn with his new wife. He was holding her so tenderly. Sydney squeezed her eyes shut. _He used to love me. He should be my husband, not hers._ She started trembling again. "I want to believe that he loved me, that he really wanted to be with me, and marrying her was only a way to deal with his grief in losing me, but it feels like a lie."

_I want to kill him. _Sark thought bitterly, thinking viciously about Vaughn and the way that his memory continually managed to torture Sydney. "I saw the two of you together Sydney, very briefly, but it was enough to see that his feelings for you were entirely genuine."

She nodded. "He did love me, didn't he?" It was a rhetorical question and Sark didn't answer. He just let her question herself until she found an answer that would please her. "I know he did. We had something special, no matter how short lived it was, but everything is changed now. I know we will never be able to go back to the way things were. He's happy now." She sniffed. "He seems really happy, and I should be happy for him, but I can't. I hate him for forgetting about me."

"Sydney, I doubt he has forgotten you." Sark tried to encourage her, but she didn't seem interested in hearing.

"I hate that he has moved on and has a new, perfect life, while I am stuck here trying to figure out what the hell I'm supposed to do with myself!" She hugged her arms to herself. "I hate feeling like this. I feel so hopeless. I feel so alone!"

"I know that your life isn't at all how you would like it to be, and I know that seeing him tonight has torn you up inside, but you are not alone." His voice was so gentle and so considerate, Sydney couldn't respond for a moment. She just stared into his concerned blue eyes, wondering when exactly she had first started changing her opinion of him. "Is everything all right?" Sark questioned when she had been silent for almost a minute.

"Yeah." She nodded quickly and stood up, putting a bit of distance between them. "I'm starting to get a headache." She glanced in the mirror and gaped at her appearance. "It's probably from all my pathetic crying." She uselessly tried wiping away the mascara tear stains.

"Your crying was not pathetic. I believe tears are completely justified in this situation." Sark stood and moved towards her.

She shied away from him slightly, trying to fix her face. "Don't look at me." She mumbled with a nervous grin.

"You look lovely." He caught her hand suddenly. "It is refreshing to see you vulnerable."

"Vulnerable?" Sydney repeated.

"If that sounded negative in any way, then I did not mean it to." Sark defended his word choice quickly.

She smiled. "I think I know what you meant." She shrugged. "You think I'm always a stone-cold bitch, don't you?"

Sark grinned. "Probably not the precise words I would choose, however…"

She nodded. "I know how I can come off at times, but you have to understand that I am very dedicated to my work. If I let myself get distracted, things always seem to go wrong…"

"I would never want to distract you from your mission, but I also want you to enjoy yourself once in a while." Sark told her. "Let yourself have fun, or at least relax a bit at times."

"Relaxing would be nice." Sydney felt herself growing comfortable with having Sark in her presence, and she strangely didn't want him to leave. She let her words jump out before she could stop herself. "Do you want to stay?"

Sark opened his mouth to respond then shut it again, unable to say anything for a minute. He looked past her trying to think of something and then finally made eye contact again. He spoke slowly, trying to make his point without upsetting her or offending her. "It has been a difficult night for you. Actually, it has been a difficult year for you, but now on top of everything you had to see Michael, and that has clearly distorted your emotions and possibly your decisions…" The expression in her eyes was making it difficult for him to continue. "As much as I want to stay with you tonight, I believe that taking advantage of your current volatility would be…wrong."

"I see." Sydney's face blushed red at the rejection and she frowned, seeming like she didn't actually understand his purpose at all. "Right, umm, goodnight then." She turned away from him briskly and headed towards the bathroom. "Please let yourself out."

Sark took a deep breath, disappointed by the harsh tone in her voice. He knew that he had upset her, despite the fact that he was trying to do the right thing. _I thought that she would appreciate that I respect her. _He shook his head in confusion as he left her room, giving her the space that he knew she needed, even if she couldn't admit it. _If she only knew how much I want to stay with her… _He had to take a few more deep breaths to calm himself enough to not want to turn and run back to her room. _I never thought I'd have a chance with her, and here I am passing up possibly the only one I ever will have! _He stopped walking in the middle of the hallway, heading towards his own suite a few rooms away from hers. _Why would I pass up this sort of an opportunity? Since when do I put a woman's emotional needs before my own physical desires?_ He almost laughed out loud at the absurdity of it all. _Being around her is changing me…and I'm not sure it is necessarily a bad thing. _


	17. Escape

"Just a moment please!" Sydney called out in response to the knock on her door early the next morning. She pulled a robe over herself and opened the door. "Do you want something?"

Sark hesitated at the door, startled by her curt greeting. "And a good morning to you."

She left the door open but turned her back to him, heading over to her unpacked suitcase to find an outfit for the day. Sark took the open door as an invitation and stepped into the room. He shut the door and settled onto the satin upholstered sofa beside the window.

"Make yourself comfortable." Sydney remarked sarcastically.

"Thank you, I intend to." Sark replied in a perfectly casual tone.

"Sark, is there a reason you're here?" She faced him with her hands on her hips.

He spread his hands out and shrugged. "We have business to do. The disc copy we made last night contains myriad information. It will take us quite a while to sort it all out. We should get started as soon as possible." He paused. "We should also figure out exactly what Michael and his wife were doing at the party last night."

"I called my CIA contact last night." Sydney told him. "He confessed to me that Vaughn is no longer a part of the CIA."

"Then why was he there?"

"My contact also informed me that Vaughn's wife, Lauren Reed, is the daughter of a very influential senator, who is actually a close personal friend of Mr. Okenberg. As far as I can deduce, their being at the party was purely coincidental."

Sark's eyes widened. "Well then, how unfortunate for us."

She nodded. "Yes, it was, but since he did not see me, everything is fine in that area. Are we staying here at the hotel until we have found what we needed?"

Sark nodded. "It seems a reasonable plan. Why leave such a beautiful city?" He picked up the hotel phone from the small table beside the sofa. "Shall I order us breakfast?"

"Whatever." She rolled her eyes and returned her attention to her attire. She withdrew a knee-length, gray, pleated skirt, holding it up for consideration.

"That is very nice." Sark told her, standing and moving towards her. "Though it is a bit formal for a grueling day of research, don't you think?"

She frowned and dropped the skirt back into the suitcase. "It's my most casual skirt."

"Well if you will be comfortable, then do as you wish." He shrugged. "Though I think you may be more comfortable as you are dressed now…"

She pulled the robe tighter and took a few steps away from him, feeling that he was too close for her comfort. "I really don't think that would be appropriate…" She cleared her throat. "Given the circumstance."

"And what circumstance would that be exactly?" Sark questioned, feeling that he already knew exactly what she was referring to. She didn't answer him. Instead she took the skirt and a shirt to the bathroom to change; she shut the door with what he thought was unnecessary force. "Sydney…" He moved across the room and spoke through the closed door. _Why can't she understand that last night I made the decision to respect her? Does she think it was easy for me to pass up a night I have dreamed about? _He leaned against the wall beside the bathroom door. "Can you hear me?" She still didn't answer and he knew she was only being stubborn. "Alright, well I know you can hear me, so I am going to speak whether you want to listen or not."

Inside the bathroom Sydney paused briefly, waiting for what he was going to say. _I hope he has a good explanation for blowing me off last night. _She let out an irritated sigh, remembering how humiliated she had felt after he had left her the previous night. She had idiotically opened herself up to him, not fully knowing what to expect, but she had offered him what she thought he had always wanted. She had handed herself to him and he had turned her down.

"Sydney, I assume you are upset with me for my decision last night." Sark began speaking carefully, as though he were taking time to consider his words before saying them. "I never meant to offend you. Truly."

_Bastard_. Sydney thought to herself. After he had left her room the night before she had worked out a scenario in her mind where he had been baiting her for weeks, trying to weaken her and worm his way into her mind so that she would finally give him a chance of having her and then when he had the chance he ripped it away from her, leaving her disgraced and devastated. _He had it planned all along just to hurt me. _

"Last night was difficult for you, I understand that, and I felt that your emotions left you unnaturally defenseless." He paused briefly. "It would have been wrong for me to stay when you were in such a delicate condition."

_Delicate?_ Sydney screamed inside her head, hating him more by the second. _Does he seriously think that I'm that weak? I knew exactly what I was doing when I invited him to stay…_Her negative thoughts faded. She knew that what she tried telling herself wasn't the entire truth.

"Once again I would like to apologize if you felt I was trying to slight you in any way. You could not imagine that would ever be my intention." His voice was growing a bit softer as he continued. "The truth is; I care too much for you to let myself take advantage of you."

Even her thoughts were blank after hearing his confession. _He's lying._ She told herself stubbornly. _The cocky son-of-a-bitch…_

"Sydney, are you ever going to answer me?" He asked after a few moments of silence. "Look, regardless of what you think of me, we are still required to work together and so do you think it might be possible for you to ignore your anger until we have finished our mission?" When she still didn't answer he sucked in a deep breath and moved away from the wall. "Well, I have said all I needed to say. The next move is yours. I will begin downloading the information we gathered."

Sydney listened at the door and heard him walk back to the couch and open his laptop. She chose to remain in the bathroom for a minute, even though she had finished dressing. _What is wrong with me? _She rested her palms on the counter and leaned forward, her face only an inch away from the mirror. _I don't even know what I want anymore! _She had gone over the situation in her mind at least a dozen times since Sark had left her alone last night. She knew why she had been upset in the moment. He had hurt her emotions, and even worse, her pride. Though when she had calmed herself down, quite a lot, and had really considered everything that had taken place, she had realized, bitterly, that Sark's decision to leave was one of his most honorable moments. He gave her what she did not realize she needed. He gave her respect. _Why would a criminal jackass like him care about respecting me?_ It took her a few more moments to compose herself before she could bear facing him again. _I behaved like such a moron! _She laughed slightly. _Since when is Sark capable of being more mature then me? _

"Ah, she emerges." Sark said simply as she exited the bathroom, trying not to blush from embarrassment, instead focusing on adjusting her plain black tee.

She felt the need to say something in order to clear the air about the awkwardness of the previous night, but she was at a loss for how to proceed without making herself sound any more stupid then she already had. "Sark…" He looked expectantly. "I'm not going to apologize for my behavior last night."

"I would never want you to." He insisted.

"You say that you left last night because you weren't sure of my emotional stability or something like that, but I must tell you that I knew exactly what I was doing and what I wanted." She took a deep breath before continuing. "However, I do understand your motives in leaving and for that I feel obligated to respect your choice."

Sark cleared his throat and nodded. "And once again I will say that I did not mean to offend you."

"It's not about me taking offense, Sark!" Sydney continued, her temper rising slightly. "It's about you trying to protect me or make decisions for me or whatever the hell you think it is you need to do for me!" She scowled at him harshly. "I'm not a child. I think with my life experiences, I should at least be able to make up my own mind concerning my relationships!"

"Relationship?" Sark stood, suddenly more then just a little interested in what she was saying.

Sydney faltered. "I didn't mean…" She flicked her eyes away from him. "I was not trying to say that you and I have any sort of relationship. We don't."

"I didn't think so." He sat down again and busied himself with his computer.

"Sark…"

Before she had a chance to say more, the alarming sound of gunshots exploded from the hallway, just outside her door. Leaping instantly to action, Sark gathered up the documents he had been exploring and stuffed them in his bag along with his laptop. Sydney instantly retrieved her pistol from the bed and aimed it expectantly at the door. Sark slipped his bag over his shoulder and held out his own gun, prepared for whatever might happen.

"We should get out of here." Sydney decided quickly.

"Do we dare use the door?" He questioned.

She shrugged but the next second more gunshots sounded, followed by excessive bullets penetrating through the door. "And that'd be a no!"

Sark tugged hard at her hand, pulling her down behind the bed for protection. "Who knows we're here?"

The door was kicked open and four well-armed guard sort of men entered cautiously with their guns cocked. "Oh god!" Sydney gasped, recognizing one of them as a guard from the party the previous night. "They're Okenberg's men!"

"Then I expect my idea of you playing Adele wasn't as brilliant as I had hoped."

"Clearly." Sydney agreed with a quick spurt of sarcasm. "Window?"

Sark nodded. "How?"

"I have gear in my bag if we can get to it!"

"I'll try to cover for you."

She handed him her gun as well and he cocked them both ready to block for her as well as possible. "Now!" He shouted, leaping up from behind the bed and immediately firing wildly. Sydney rushed to her bag and quickly located the bungee equipment in her suitcase. She chanced a glance towards Sark and saw that he had downed two of the men but the other two were still fighting hard, alternating from hiding and shooting while Sark did the same.

_Oh god, how did they sneak up on us? _She only had a moment to consider the problem at hand as she secured herself in the body harness and sprinted out to the patio adjoining her bedroom. She latched the hook of the long bungee cord to the iron railing. "Sark!" She called into the room to get his attention. He continued shooting at the men as he joined Sydney on the patio. "I only have one so you have to hold on to me."

"Not a problem." Sark handed the guns to her and securely wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Out of bullets!" She announced, dropping the guns to the floor and ducking out of the way of a bullet flying past her head. "Time to go!" She tightened her arms around his neck and together they moved towards the railing.

"It's sixteen floors!" Sark reminded her as he helped her climb over the rail and balance on the narrow edge of concrete. He climbed over after her and reaffixed his hold on her.

"Would you rather stay here and be killed?" Sydney exclaimed as more bullets whizzed past them. Sark let out a sharp gasp as a bullet pierced his arm. She felt his arm relaxing slightly so she locked her legs around his for extra security. "Try to hold on!" She told him as she pushed off the railing and they began the plummet to the ground. Nearly four feet above the ground, the cord bounced to a stop.

"Oh God!" Sark gritted his teeth as he dropped to the ground and the pain in his arm shot through his body.

She quickly unhooked herself from the harness and dropped beside him. "Come on, we've got to keep going. It's not safe for us here!" She wrapped her arm around his waist and let him lean on her slightly as they dashed away. "We need to get the bullet out of you!"

"Not yet." Sark shook his head, speaking shortly through tight teeth. "We have to get somewhere safe."

"This is Okenberg's city. He undoubtedly has connections everywhere! We won't be safe as long as we're here." Sydney panicked as Sark started dragging behind a little.

"I have connections here, I need to make a phone call." Sark started panting slightly.

Sydney glanced around for a place to rest momentarily. She spotted a small hollowed out spot beneath a set of stairs with dark shadows that could provide enough shelter for a few minutes. She led him off the street and into the dark alcove. He leaned against the brick wall and took a few shaky breaths as he withdrew his cell phone from the pocket of his jacket. She watched the streets on full alert, wishing that she had a weapon of some sort.

"Mr. Keelson," Sark had dialed a number and was now speaking to his connection on the other end. "Yes, it's Julian Sark." Sydney listened curiously to Sark's side of the conversation. "I know it has been a while." He seemed to be having difficulty breathing and she felt worried for him. "I'm in Venice and I need a way out. Could I borrow your plane?" There was a pause. "Myself and one other." Another pause. "Thank you. I will owe you." He hung up the phone and dropped it back into his pocket, breathing even more heavily.

"Well?"

"We have access to a plane. The private hanger is only a couple of miles from here." Sark informed her.

"Can you make it?" Sydney asked, a little nervous about him lasting long enough.

"Of course." He nodded curtly. "But we will have to take the channels."

Sydney glanced around the corner. She could see the channel from where they were, but there was plenty of uncovered space to traverse to get there, and once they were in a boat, they would be even more exposed to whoever was hunting them. "Okay, lean on me and try to keep up."

Sark scowled. "I do not need to lean on you."

"Fine, then just keep up." She moved back into the street and headed toward the water. Sark followed though not as quickly as she was moving. Sydney hailed a taxi-boat and waited for Sark to climb in first before scrambling in after him. "Let's stay low and try not to seem suspicious."

Sark settled onto the bench and let his arm hang carefully at his side. Sydney sat beside him, watching him nervously. The boat made it to the hanger without any complications and they were soon boarding the already prepared private jet.

"Get comfortable and I'll go talk to the pilot." Sydney told Sark as she headed up to the front of the plane.

"Hello, you must be here with Mr. Sark." The pilot greeted her with a friendly smile.

She nodded and returned the smile. "My name is Julia Thorne. We need to be leaving immediately."

"Of course, and where are we going today?"

Sark spoke up from behind her. "We are going to Scotland. Near Edinburgh."


	18. Castle Confessions

_A/N: for the sake of my writing, I am making a little change in the ages of Sydney and Sark. I believe in the show he is a bit younger then she is, but I prefer them to be closer to the same age. So, let's say they're both around twenty-six. _

_I also wanted to briefly thank everyone for the reviews! They have been so encouraging! I really hadn't expected this story to have such a positive response, but all the reviews I've received have kept me going strong! Every time I get a new review it makes me want to go and write more! Maybe that's why I try to update so quickly. _

_Anyway, I hope you all continue to read and enjoy and review! Thanks again!_

…………

"Sark…" Sydney pressed her face up against the window of the backseat of the town car that she and Sark were riding in.

"Yes?" He smiled slightly, feeling that he knew exactly what she was thinking.

"You live in a castle?"

"Well, yes, at times." He winced as she brushed against his arm accidentally in her excitement.

"Oh god! I'm sorry!" She turned her attention to him; briefly ignoring the magnificent castle the car was pulling up to. She touched his shoulder gently, carefully avoiding contact with the wound. During the flight from Venice to Scotland, Sydney had managed to extract the bullet from his arm, clean the wound, and wrap it simply, but the bleeding had barely stopped and there was already a dark stain forming on the sleeve of his suit jacket. She could also tell that the pain hadn't decreased in the slightest.

"It's fine." He assured her. "It'll heal."

"Not very well, and definitely not without scarring." Sydney sighed. "If I had better supplies…"

"Julia," Sark shook his head. "You did the best you could."

The car had completed the drive up the long cobblestone driveway and was now parking in front of a large double arched doorway. Sydney's attention was drawn away from Sark as the driver came around to open her door. The decadence of the castle overwhelmed her and for a while all she could do was stare, gaping slightly.

Sark stepped up beside her and motioned her towards the front door. "We will be safe here. No one has ever managed to locate this property. It will serve as an excellent place for us to complete our research, and for a safe house in the future if needed."

Sydney nodded. "You know, I'm going to need the story behind this place."

Sark smiled. "Do you like it?"

She grinned. "When I was a little girl, I used to dream about living in a castle…" She stopped herself suddenly. "But, that's not important. I need to take another look at your wound, clean it again and get fresh bandages on you."

He nodded. "Yes, it is starting to sting a bit."

"Just a bit?" Sydney teased him, knowing well that he was in much more pain then he was letting on.

Before they had even reached the door it swung open to reveal a sharply dressed butler standing at attention. "Welcome back Mr. Sark. I hope your travels have all been enjoyable."

"Yes, thank you, George." Sark brought Sydney forward. "This is Sydney." She glared at Sark sharply but he placed his hand on her arm calmly. "She is to be known only as Julia Thorne."

"Welcome Miss Thorne, it is a pleasure to meet you." The butler bowed his head to her briefly and led them further into the entryway of the. "Mr. Sark, I believe you will find everything in perfect order."

"Very good." He took a weak step and Sydney saw him trembling slightly.

"Sark…" She reached out to him and he leaned on her gratefully.

"Mr. Sark, you are hurt?" George noticed.

Sark nodded and sucked in a sharp breath. "Nothing serious."

Sydney frowned and turned to George. "I'm going to need disinfector and bandages." She paused. "Actually, it'd be best if I could sew up the wound…"

"What?" Sark shook his head firmly. "You are not going to poke at me with a needle and thread." He maneuvered his way out of his suit jacket, passing it off to George who wrinkled his nose at the sight of the blood spot.

"I will have Leah work on cleaning this." George told Sark dutifully.

He shook his head. "Don't bother. I never cared much for that particular jacket."

Sydney rolled her eyes, knowing that the easily discarded jacket had probably cost him close to five hundred dollars. Her eye caught on the bright red blotch steadily spreading out on the sleeve of his white dress shirt. "Sark, the bleeding isn't stopping. I need to sew you up."

"I'll heal."

"So you've said." Sydney smirked. "George, could you please get me the things I asked for?"

"Yes Miss Thorne, right away." George whistled and a middle-aged woman joined them. Her black hair was slicked back into a braided bun and her maid uniform was crisp and clean, right down to the starch white apron and cap. George passed Sydney's needs onto the maid and she responded in Italian before disappearing again.

"Let's go to the kitchen and I'll take another look at you." Sydney decided, gingerly placing her hand on Sark's back and guiding him away from the door. She stopped suddenly. "Umm, where is the kitchen?"

Sark grinned and took the lead. The outside of the castle was spectacular, but the inside was even more breathtaking. The corridors were a luxurious maze of marble floors, high-vaulted ceilings, rich carpets, and walls lined with beautiful paintings. He lead her down to the end of the main hallway, turned to the right, down another long hallway, passing by multiple open doors, which brief glances inside showed Sydney a variety of gorgeously decorated sitting rooms. They finally reached a set of double swinging doors which pushed open into the kitchen.

Sydney let out a low gasp. "I think this kitchen is bigger than my whole house."

Sark eyed the room casually. "It's nice I suppose."

Sydney raised her eyebrows. "Yeah, it's nice." The floors were black marble, as were the counter tops. All the cabinetry was done in a dark misty glass, as were the appliances. Overall the design of the kitchen was rather modern, seeming like it belonged more to a Manhattan condo than a remodeled Scottish castle, but she felt herself falling madly in love with it – if it was even possible to fall in love with a building and its interior. In the corner opposite the door they had entered was a tall marble-topped table with four high backed chairs around it. "Sit down."

"Yes ma'am." Sark grinned and perched in the tall chair.

"Take off your shirt." Sydney ordered him as she started searching through the cupboards. "Where're the bowls?"

"I don't know." Sark answered.

Sydney turned to him curiously. "You don't know?"

"Sydney, the kitchen is for the cook."

Ignoring that comment for a moment Sydney chose to question him about something more pressing. "Sark, last night I obviously neglected to maintain my Julia cover, but that doesn't mean I want you to forget about it."

"Of course not." Sark answered solemnly.

"Why did you tell your butler my real name?"

"Oh Sydney, I promise you don't need to be nervous about them." He assured her. "My staff is completely loyal to me. Also, they never leave here."

"Never?" Sydney frowned. "How's that possible?"

"Well, there are two who leave. They go into Edinburgh, which is the nearest town to here, twice a week. They are provided with a list of everything needed and money to buy it."

"Well, that's a strange system. Sort of strict, don't you think?"

Sark shook his head. "In my line of business I have found a certain level of secrecy and containment is absolutely necessary. They don't mind. Most of them have been here for as long as I have." He noticed her expression and saw she was still not completely convinced with the way he ran his house. "I assure you their pay compensates for whatever society they are lacking."

She sighed. "Alright, but what about the two who go to town? Aren't you worried about them passing on your secrets?"

He shook his head. "Hardly." He smiled. "They're both deaf as well as mute."

"Okay, well then, I guess you've got it all covered." Sydney couldn't help but smile at the absurdly strict regime of Sark's castle.

"I do." He finished removing his shirt and Sydney took it from him, draping it over another chair. "I promise that as long as you are here, you may be comfortable. My staff will obey you as they do me. They won't question you on any matter and they are available to wait on your every desire. Understood?"

Sydney grinned. "Staying here for a while could be fun."

"Relaxing as well, which is something I believe we could both use more of." Sark winced as she touched his shoulder.

"Sorry."

"Mr. Sark." The Italian maid spoke softly from the doorway. "I have the items Ms. Thorne requested."

"Thank you." Sark motioned to the table and the woman set them down. "Julia, this is Eileen. She will be your personal maid."

"Umm, okay." Sydney smiled at Eileen. Eileen bowed her head to Sydney and backed out of the room. "She's a little timid, isn't she?"

"She's always been that way." Sark agreed. "I've known her for over fifteen years."

Sydney froze with her hand preparing to remove his now bloodstained bandage. "Fifteen years? Sark, when did you start doing this work?"

Sark shook his head. "Oh, I don't think you understand my situation." He gritted his teeth as she pulled the bandage off and began dabbing at the wound with a damp towel.

"Keep talking. Try to ignore what I'm doing." She instructed.

He nodded and continued. "My father abandoned me when I was a young child, and my mother was rarely present in my life. I was raised mostly by servants and nannies." Sydney tried not to laugh at the thought of Sark as a child being carted around by Mary Poppins. "When I was seven, I was sent to a boarding school in London and from there I was sent to another and another until I was seventeen and had completed my education." He sucked in his breath as Sydney poked the large needle through his skin as she began to sew up the hole, ignoring all of Sark's earlier protests.

"How did you become involved with terrorism?"

"I didn't begin with terrorists." Sark informed her. "I started my career as an information-gatherer, freelance of course. My family's long-standing social status provided me with many connections that were helpful to my purpose. And beyond that I indulged my mind with endless learning in science, history, and languages." He bit his lip briefly against the pain and then resumed his story. "I quickly established a name for myself among those who needed difficult information secretly and speedily." He took another sharp breath and felt his eyes watering out of pain. _Oh hell, I'm not going to cry! What is wrong with me? She'll think I'm a pansy. _He cleared his throat, trying to discreetly clear the tears as well. "At twenty, I was approached by a private research organization. They were involved with the British government."

"You worked for the government?" Sydney was shocked. She had always seen him as nothing more then a terrorist lackey.

He nodded. "For a few years. They assisted my desire to further certain aspects of my education. I worked for them well, but I still maintained my own business on the side, private research for special clients whom I had always been faithful to, and whom had always been faithful to me. When I was twenty-three I received a job finding information on Milo Rambaldi…"

"And from there you were screwed."

Sark smirked. "More or less. When I successfully completed my job I met the person who had hired me. It was Irina Derevko." Sydney tried not to show her surprise. "She told me that my work impressed her and she would like to hire me." He moaned in pain suddenly and Sydney stopped sewing briefly.

"I'm sorry. I'm trying to be gentle…" She slipped the needle back through his skin. "I'm almost done."

He nodded and took a deep breath before continuing his story. "At the time Irina first approached me, I wasn't content with the government. It felt too similar to the life my father had led. His life was not one I wanted to mirror with my own." He sighed as Sydney finished the last stitch and tied off the wire-thick thread she had used. As she prepped the bandage he hurriedly finished up his story, realizing that he had told her more then he had ever meant to, but now that he had started, he couldn't stop. "She offered me a life of mystery and intrigue, and in a strange way she gave me a purpose. Rambaldi fascinated me. I wasn't completely convinced of the legitimacy of his prophecies, but I was curious enough to want to prove them one way or another. I worked for her for nearly two years as nothing more then an assistant really. I did the dirty work, and quickly learned I was good at it. It took a while for me to earn her trust, but I finally did and she and we became partners of a sort. That is when she first told me about you." He held his arm out a bit more as she covered the sewn up wound with the clean bandage. "She told me everything about her life as Laura Bristow." He smiled up at her slightly. "She talked about you a lot. She told me everything she could remember about you. It was strange for me, because I had no decent memories of my parents' loving me, but she was a strong, dangerous woman, and she had a love for you that I could not comprehend. It fascinated me, and quite honestly, I was a little jealous."

Sydney felt her eyes tearing up with an unexpected emotion. During the year she had been able to become acquainted with her mother, she had found herself longing for the natural mother-daughter bond that she feared she could never have. And even after Irina seemingly betrayed the CIA, Sydney couldn't help feeling that her mother truly had loved her. Hearing Sark talk about Irina like this only seemed to confirm Sydney's hopes.

"I didn't mean to go off on such a long tangent." He cleared his throat. "I purchased this particular property nearly seven years ago when I was nineteen. I have been progressively acquiring the appropriate staff ever since. A few of them have been with me from my other estates."

"Other estates?" Sydney questioned.

"Yes, I own a few other properties as well, but this is my favorite."

"I can see why."

"Eileen was one of my later nannies." He confessed. Sydney smiled. "She has always been like a mother to me, it was more than a sense of obligation that inspired me to keep her on as part of my staff."

Sydney felt touched at his expression of consideration, and the glimpse he was giving her into his past was alarmingly appreciated. She was surprised by what she was feeling for him. It was almost like pity, but more a sort of strange understanding.

"Sark…"

"Yes?"

She was almost afraid to ask. "Do you know where my mother is now?"

He shook his head. "I don't. After she betrayed me, to you actually, she disappeared and I haven't seen or heard of her since. When Irina wants to hide she is able to."

Sydney nodded. "I have another question then."

"Of course you do." He smiled. "Let me guess, you want to know who runs the Covenant."

Sydney paused for a minute then nodded again.

"The truth is, I don't know." He gazed at her intently. "I promise. As I told you before I am as much a pawn in their twisted game as you are. I have met with McKennas Cole, but he is not in charge."

"I know, I've seen him too." She sighed. "I just hate not knowing why I'm being used."

"I know exactly how you feel." She started cleaning up the bandages but he reached out and took her hand. "Sydney, unless you've changed your mind, we can still save ourselves from this game."

She glanced down at her hand in his and noticed a strange tingle running up through her arm. She cleared her throat and nodded quickly. "I'm not going to back out until I'm free."

"Until we're both free I hope."

"Yes, until we're both free." She agreed.

He glanced at his shoulder. "I hope that eventually I will be able to earn your trust, as I did with your mother." He gazed into her eyes. "I am willing to do whatever it takes."

"I've begun to realize that." She brushed a finger gently over his wound. "How does it feel?"

"Like I was shot in the arm." He smiled a little. "But it'll get better."

Before she could stop herself, Sydney acted on impulse, leaned down and pressed her lips gently over the bandaged wound. Sark lifted his eyebrows and stared at her oddly. She moved away from him and returned her focus to cleaning up the supplies, trying to avoid eye contact.

"Leave those. Someone will attend to them." Sark told her as he stood up, carefully favoring his arm as he slipped his shirt back on, only buttoning two buttons before giving up. "We have a lot of work to do, but would you prefer to rest first? Or perhaps clean up?"

Sydney glanced around the kitchen. "Actually, I'm kind of hungry."


	19. Castle Confessions: part 2

_A/N: I'm starting to get really angry with my computer. I don't know why but sometimes when I upload new chapters the ends get cut off! It doesn't make sense but its happened a few times, and then I don't catch it until I'm ready to put up the next section. Grr. So here's how the last chapter was suppose to end! _

…………

Sydney glanced around the kitchen. "Actually, I'm kind of hungry."

"Of course! I wasn't even thinking!" He moved towards the door and pressed a button on the wall that operated an intercom. "Mitzi, could you come to the kitchen please?" He turned back to Sydney to explain. "An intercom system runs throughout the entire house…"

"This isn't a house Sark. It's a fortress."

He shrugged. "Anyway, there are speakers in every room so you may contact whoever you want whenever you want."

A young woman entered the kitchen and stood in front of Sark with her hands clasped behind her back. "How may I serve you, Mr. Sark?"

"Julia," he beckoned to Sydney. "This is Mitzi. She is the best cook you'll ever meet."

The girl beamed and shyly tucked a loose tendril of her copper red hair behind her ear. "Thank you Mr. Sark."

He nodded. "We're feeling peckish, Mitzi. Could you cook us up something spectacular for dinner?"

"Oui Monsieur!" Mitzi nodded, bobbing her wild curls as she skipped over to the fridge.

Sark grinned as she started whistling. "I found Mitzi just out of culinary school in Paris. She's proved her worth with every meal." He explained briefly. "Come with me Julia." He held his uninjured arm out to her and she followed him out of the kitchen. "How about I take you to your room now and let you get changed before dinner."

"Sark, I don't have anything to change into." Sydney realized. "I didn't exactly have time to pack before we left."

"Right, well, I don't really keep a store of women's clothing here." His eyes brightened. "We could go shopping." He glanced at a tall grandfather clock against the wall. "It's already late this evening, but we could go first thing in the morning."

Sydney considered for a minute. "We're supposed to be working, aren't we?"

"Yes, but you need clothing." He grinned teasingly. "Unless of course you'd be comfortable without it."

She let his comment slide. "Sure, let's go shopping tomorrow."

He led her up two flights of winding marble stairs and down a carpeted hallway. "This will be your room, if it suits you." He pushed open the double doors and let her enter first. "Well?"

A slow smile lit up her face as she surveyed the exceptional room. It was decorated in deep shades of amber and burgundy. The king-size bed was canopied with heavy crimson drapery and quilted with amber and gold satins and silks. The floor-to-ceiling windows were curtained in the same material as the canopy. The floor was covered in a dark red carpet, so thick her feet sank as she made her way farther into the room.

"Sark, this is beautiful!" She felt an urge to run and leap onto the bed, but restrained herself.

"I'm glad you like it." Sark walked into the room and motioned to an archway in the far wall. "Through there you'll find a sitting area with a fireplace and writing desk. And that door there will lead you to your bathroom." He pointed to one last door, across from the bed. "That is your closet, which is of course empty now, but we'll soon change that."

She nodded, still in awe of the unbelievably gorgeous bedroom. Without looking at him, she tried to use her most casual voice to ask: "Sark, where's your room?"

"Across the hall and to the left." He informed her. "There are dozens of spare rooms of course, if this one isn't good for you, but I figured it'd be beneficial for our rooms to be close."

"It makes sense, plus I doubt any room could be more perfect than this."

"Good, then I'll let you have some time before dinner. When it's ready I'll come and pick you up so I can show you the way to the dining room." Sark decided.

"Sark…" Sydney stopped him as he started to leave.

"Yes?" He looked at her with an expectant half-smile.

"I wanted to thank you."

"For what?"

"Earlier, when I was cleaning your arm, and you were talking to me…" She shrugged. "You really opened up and you told me some things that I needed to hear. I appreciate you talking to me like that."

"Your welcome then." Sark leaned on his good arm against the doorframe. "Since we are working together, I feel that honesty is very important. You have enough problems in your life right now. I don't want you to have to worry about me keeping secrets from you as well."

Sydney smiled. "And what you said about my mother…"

"It was the truth Sydney. Every word."

"It meant a lot for me to hear it." She impetuously slipped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. He was taken off guard and for a moment could only stand limp with her arms around him, but then he snapped to his senses and wrapped his good arm around her waist. When she pulled away he spotted a hint of tears shining in her eyes. "I'm sorry…"

"Please," He shook his head. "Don't say that." He touched her cheek softly. "Don't be sorry."

She smiled and momentarily lost herself in the depths of his sincere blue eyes. "Alright." She answered at last. "I'm not sorry." She took a step back from him. "I'll see you at dinner."


	20. Shopping

_A/N: Just a little heads up. I know I'm usually pretty good with getting fast updates, but after this one I may take a little longer. I want to re-read what I've written so far and gather my thoughts for a while before getting into the next part. I know where I want it to go, but I'm having a little problem getting there. So, please be patient with me! It hopefully won't take too long for me to get back on track. I'll try to have the next update before the week's end, and then I'll be in a car for over 16 hours with nothing to do but write, so expect lots of updates next week! Thanks again for all the reviews! _

* * *

A persistent knocking at her bedroom door woke Sydney early the next morning. Opening her eyes seemed useless because the heavy draperies that covered the windows were nearly impenetrable by the morning sunshine.

"Come in." She called out, making sure she was fully covered by the blankets.

"Good morning." Sark greeted her as he pushed open the door with his back and entered the room. The light from the hallway illuminated him and she saw he was carrying a tray. "I've brought you breakfast. I thought it could save some time so we could leave as soon as you're ready." He set the tray down on a small table beside the window and then proceeded to pull open the drapes, flooding the room with the brilliant golden sunshine.

Sydney smiled and sat up taller, carefully holding onto the covers. "You brought me breakfast in bed? That's so sweet."

Sark's mouth turned up slowly. "Sweet." He nodded. "Yes, I have my moments." He motioned towards the tray. "Are you hungry?"

She nodded. "I'm starved, but umm, I'll wait."

"For what?"

She blushed slightly. "For you to leave."

"Oh, alright…" He was clearly confused and a frown creased his flawless forehead, but he headed towards the door.

"Sark, wait." Sydney realized that her statement had sounded a bit rude, so she explained. "I didn't have anything to sleep in, so…"

He understood instantly. "Right! Of course!" His frown disappeared and was replaced by a quirky grin. "I promise to keep my eyes shut."

"Sark." Sydney sighed in irritated amusement. "Go away."

"As you wish." Sark stepped out of the room. "I'll be back for you in forty minutes."

Once he had shut the door and left her alone, Sydney slipped out of bed and dressed quickly in the same clothes she had worn the day before. Once she was dressed, and had fixed her hair the best she could without any styling equipment, she eagerly investigated the breakfast Sark had provided her with. He had brought her a delicious array of eggs, ham, oatmeal, and pastries, as well as juice, water, and steaming hot coffee. She ate quickly, finishing as much of the food as she could manage.

Forty minutes later, perfectly prompt, Sark was once again knocking at the door. "Are you decent yet?" He called through the closed door.

Sydney smiled as she took a final sip of coffee and hurried to open the door. "I'm ready."

"Very good." He guided her down the hallway and back down the stairs to the foyer. "I considered driving to the nearest town, but there isn't an ounce of decent shopping there."

"So where are we going?" Sydney questioned as George appeared, seemingly from nowhere, and opened the front door for them.

Instead of answering, Sark just grinned and led her down the front steps and down the extraordinarily long front drive.

When they reached the front gate her curiosity took over. "Are we going to walk to town?" He pushed open the gate and motioned her through it and she stopped in surprise. "Sark, where exactly are you taking me?"

A small private jet was waited on the pavement outside the front gate. The long road leading away from the house clearly served as the runway. Sark's grin didn't fade as he motioned her towards the plane. The side door swung open and stairs were lowered. Sydney scaled them quickly, awed by the minimal, but elegant interior. Sark stepped up behind her, touching her back briefly to encourage her forward.

"Good morning Mr. Sark, Miss Thorne." A man dressed in black trousers and crisp white shirt greeted them cordially. "Would you care for refreshment as the captain prepares for takeoff?"

Sark looked to Sydney who shrugged indifferently. "We would love some champagne." Sydney smiled slightly. "Would you prefer coffee, Julia, or tea I suppose?"

"I'm in a private jet on the way to a day of shopping in an unknown destination with Julian Sark." She shook her head. "A glass of champagne in the morning? What the hell!"

He grinned nodding his approval. "Champagne then, please, Chet. And please tell Captain Travis we are ready to leave as soon as possible." Chet nodded and hurried away.

"Alright, are you going to tell me what you're up to?" Sydney asked as she settled into one of the tall-backed beige leather chairs. She was surprised at how comfortable it was for an airplane chair.

Sark sat in the chair across from her, leaning back and resting his right ankle across his left knee. He turned his head to look at her, still wearing his lazy smile.

"You're not going to tell me are you?" She couldn't resist putting on a small huffy fit, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning far back into the seat, turning her head resolutely towards the window.

Sark watched her actions in amused fascination. "Are you pouting?"

For a minute she considered not answering him, but she quickly realized that would only be more immature then the pouting she was already performing. She looked at him, trying to figure out how to redeem herself from her rash childish display, but before she had a chance to speak he was shaking his head.

"Don't bother." He told her.

"What?"

"I can see that you're embarrassed." He explained casually. "But you are only being yourself, and that is never something you should be ashamed of."

"Sark, I…" She didn't know how to tell him that she was only embarrassed because he had seen her being silly. For a moment she had let herself go, almost completely forgetting that she was with Sark, her enemy, and not with…_I'm not with Vaughn._

Sark lowered his voice to what sounded like an almost concerned whisper. "Sydney…" He readjusted his position so he could lean towards her. "Yesterday I was honest with you, a lot actually, more then I meant to be." He pursed his lips together, thinking carefully for a moment before speaking again. "I can't change who I am anymore than you can change who you are." He held his breath briefly and when he spoke again his tone was much firmer, more intense, as though he were desperately trying to make a point. "I want to make our partnership work Sydney. I want to help you recover your life as much as I want to regain control over mine. But if you are still not comfortable enough to even be yourself with me, then how can we ever hope to fix our problem?"

Sydney was stunned. She remembered the first time she'd met Sark, or rather the first time she'd fought Sark. He had always been nothing more then another irritating adversary, who also happened to be an incredible dresser. She had never considered how deeply thoughtful and attentive he really was.

"Sark, I don't know how to respond to you sometimes." She smiled.

"I'm not quite sure how to take that." He returned her smile uncertainly.

"Well, take it however you wish to." Sydney told him. "You continually surprise me."

He settled back in his chair comfortably, satisfied with her answer. "Well, the day is still very young, and I have plenty more surprises for you."

……………

The remainder of the flight was fairly inactive in conversation. Sark continued dodging her questions regarding their destination, while she did her best to ignore the gnawing feeling in her mind: she was weakening. Sydney knew she was slowly adjusting to her partnership with Sark, and the strangest thing was that she felt herself not caring. He was so different from what she had always assumed, he was actually sort of sweet. It was true that she wasn't fully relaxed around him yet, and she wasn't sure if she'd ever be herself with him, but she also wasn't guarding herself as much as she was at first.

The flight only lasted for an hour, and before late morning, Sydney could see their destination.

"Oh Sark!" She leaned towards the window in delight as the plane cut through the clouds and circled around the point of the Eiffel tower.

"Well, I don't know of better shopping than Paris!" Sark told her. "We'll be able to find whatever you need."

"This is amazing really!" She turned away from the window and smiled at him. "I should feel guilty that were not working today, but I'm having a difficult time with that." She shrugged. "I'm too excited for shopping!"

He nodded. "I'm glad to hear it."

The plane began its descent and finally landed at a private hanger in the heart of the city. Chet stood by the door as it opened and the stairs were lowered. He held Sark's jacket out to him as he and Sydney moved to the door.

"What time should we expect you back, sir?" Chet asked as he helped Sark into his casual Khaki suit jacket.

"I really couldn't say. Stand by and I will contact you." He headed down the steps with Sydney following.

A car was parked at the hanger, clearly ready for Sark's personal use. He walked Sydney around to the passenger door of the deep blue convertible Porsche, and opened the door for her, before going back to his side and climbing in.

"So, where should we go first?" He asked as he drove away from the hanger and headed down the semi-crowded streets towards the center of the shopping district. "What do you need the most?"

She thought for a minute. "You know, if we had flown to Rome instead, I could've used the clothes from my apartment."

He shook his head. "Then what reason would you have for returning to my castle?" He smiled, but continued looking straight ahead as he expertly swerved around the traffic. "Besides, if we return to Rome the Covenant will try to call us back in for another mission and I would greatly appreciate some rest."

Sydney recognized the reason to his thinking and conceded with a grin. "Then I suppose I'm going to need some of everything." She paused and quickly reconsidered. "Anything but boring business skirts."

He grinned wider. "Fine with me."

A few minutes later he had parked and they were making their way down the sidewalks, curiously checking the various shops that lined the streets.

"Here," Sark stopped in front of a very private and expensive looking clothing store. "This place is excellent."

"Okay." Sydney hesitated. "It looks really nice…"

He instantly understood her concern. "Don't worry about the cost. I'll cover everything."

She shook her head. "I couldn't let you do that."

"The way I see it, Venice was my mistake. I suggested using the cover of Adele Winters. I put us both in jeopardy, which led to us being compromised at the hotel, which of course caused you to lose all your things." He pushed open the door and beckoned her into the store. "This is my duty."

She felt like arguing but could think of nothing to say, so she nodded and smiled in surrender.

"Monsieur Sark!" The woman at the front counter greeted him with an enthusiastic smile.

Sydney suppressed her urge to laugh. _He is known everywhere! _

Sark breezily greeted the woman politely, reciprocating her air kisses. "This is Julia Thorne. She is in desperate need of a full wardrobe." Sark explained quickly. "At least enough for half a dozen outfits and accessories."

"Bien bon!" The woman smiled at Sydney. "I am at your service Mademoiselle Thorne! Call me Gigi, s'il te plait."

"Merci." Sydney smiled and gave the woman her practiced Julia-smile. "Then you must call me Julia."

Gigi led the way from the formal lobby into the private clothing display in the back. The walls were lined with exquisitely designed clothing. Sydney felt giddy with the prospect of her shopping spree, particularly the fact that she wouldn't have to pay a dime because it was being entirely funded by Sark.

"Now, come over here and let me get a good look at you." Gigi ushered Sydney onto a small platform in front of floor-length three-sided mirrors, and began to analyze her form with purpose. "Let me see…a size four I think." Sydney nodded. "And I believe your style should be sophisticated, yet very comfortable."

"And absolutely no business suit skirts." Sark piped in. He had made himself comfortable on the small sofa set up in front of the platform, and he now watched with his arms crossed and a contented smile playing at his lips.

Sydney smiled and nodded her agreement.

"Of course, nothing at all closely resembling business." Gigi concurred. She motioned to a dressing curtain fixed up in the corner of the room, beside the mirrors. "Go and undress. I'll bring you a few things to try on."

Sydney obediently did as she was told and stepped behind the curtain. Her head was just barely visible above the curtain rod and if she stood on tiptoes she could see Sark's smile.

"Providing you with daily attire is simple enough, Julia," Gigi told her as she started passing dozens of blouses, skirts, and pants through the curtain. "But do you have any particular activities you need to be dressed for? Any dinners, parties, or other social delights?"

"No, I have nothing on my social schedule except relaxing for the next few days." Sydney responded.

"Actually, that's not entirely true." Sark spoke up quickly.

"Really?" Sydney frowned. "What do you have planned?"

He smiled and stood, wandering over to the racks of elegant evening gowns. "If you wouldn't mind, I thought we could take in a show this evening, after dinner."

"A show?" Sydney smiled slightly at the thought.

"Yes, either a Broadway, or perhaps an opera." Sark fingered the silky material of one dress.

She considered it for a minute while she pulled a plain, but beautifully form fitting brown sweater over her head. "Okay." She answered at last as she stepped into a pair of wide-legged denim pants. The material was more comfortable the anything she'd ever worn.

"Good, because I already have tickets for tonight's performance of _The Phantom of the Opera_." Sark informed her.

"I've always wanted to see that." Sydney grinned.

"Oh I am pleased!" Gigi gushed. "Formal wear is so much fun to style!" She nodded approvingly as Sydney emerged from behind the curtain. "Now, Julia, in needing everything, I imagine that refers to lingerie as well?"

Sydney blushed and didn't dare look at Sark. She could imagine the amused and much too interested expression on his face. She nodded. "Well, yes, I am in need of that as well…"

Gigi glanced at Sark. "Perhaps your boyfriend would care to pick something out for you…"

"No!" Sydney answered sharply, and a little too quickly. "I mean he's not my boyfriend."

"Oh," Gigi looked a little deflated. "I see." She glanced at Sark with curious eyes. "I had hoped you had finally found yourself a lady to settle down with Monsieur."

Sark shrugged. "No, she's not mine, though I wouldn't at all mind seeing her model some lingerie." He smirked. "I do adore black lace."

Sydney let out a slight gasp and glared at him. Gigi didn't notice Sydney's reaction, however, and had only heard Sark's suggested before beginning to gather a selection of black lace lingerie for Sydney to try. Crossing her arms firmly, Sydney marched over to Sark.

"You are determined to push me to my limits aren't you?" She spoke harshly, but quietly so Gigi wouldn't overhear. "You're insane if you think I'd let you watch me try on underwear!"

"And you are insane if you ever thought I'd try to impose on you in such a distasteful way." Sark stood. "I've told you before that I have the highest respect for you, Sydney. I am not lying about that. As much as I'd enjoy seeing you in lingerie…" He winked at her teasingly, and then raised his voice so Gigi could hear as well. "I think I'll go for a short walk. Enjoy yourselves ladies, I'll be back in a while." Sark nodded to them both and left the shop.

"He has always been the utmost gentleman." Gigi commented when the women were alone.

Sydney nodded in agreement. "That he has." She shrugged. "More or less."

"Is it true that the two of you are not involved?" Gigi asked, watching Sydney carefully for any betrayal in her expression.

Sydney stated to shake her head but then stopped. "I honestly don't know how to define the relationship between the two of us. "

"Perhaps tonight, at the show, it would be a good time for you to figure that out." Gigi suggested with a knowing grin. "A good time to define your confusing relationship…" She held up a black lace lingerie set, complete with a garter belt with diamond fasteners.

Sydney knew it was wrong. She knew that all the thoughts currently swirling through her mind were wrong. Sark was the bad guy. He had committed more than a dozen acts of terrorism – he was everything she was against. And yet…Sydney took the lingerie from Gigi and returned to behind the curtain to try it on.

As she fastened the lace bra and carefully set the skimpy lace panties in place, Sydney tried to convince herself that her interest in Julian Sark was nothing more than professional interest. But that entire concept was more or less ridiculous. She knew that her interest in Sark was progressively becoming less and less professional, and much more personal. A part of her was ashamed to admit it, but the other part of her, the part that had spent the last year of her life suffering under the pretend life of Julia Thorne felt relieved to finally be honest about something in her life. And at this point, Sydney realized that she was honestly developing feelings for Sark. Now, her principal concern was that he might not return those feelings.

_The question is, should I ignore my feelings and continue on as professional and boring as the CIA would expect me to be, or should I take advantage of a possible enjoyment of something in my very screwed up life? _Sydney smiled at her reflection as she stepped out from behind the curtain and paraded her lace-clad form in front of the triple mirrors.

Gigi beamed her approval of Sydney's appearance, and even Sydney had to admit that she looked good. _I look hot, but I don't look like Sydney Bristow. _She realized that a year ago, when she had been with Michael Vaughn, the most she'd ever fixed herself up was dabbing on a little bit extra perfume before crawling into bed with him. She hadn't bothered to prance around in teasing apparel. _I didn't need to. _She wasn't sure why but the realization didn't surprise her. In a way, Vaughn had been hers since the first time she'd sat in his office with her swollen mouth and flame-red hair. She had never had to work for him, or earn his admiration. Gaining his interest had been easy. _The only thing easier was losing it. _She let out a small sigh and turned around to get the full view of herself.

"Julia, darling, might I suggest this dress for the evening? It's quite lovely and I think it will flatter those undergarments splendidly." Gigi held up the black satin dress that she had noticed Sark gazing at earlier.

Sydney nodded and let Gigi help her into the dress. _That's just it. _She decided. _I'm not the Sydney Bristow that Vaughn was interested in. That girl is dead. Who exactly am I then?_ She thought back a couple of nights after the party, when she had let Sark witness her emotional breakdown. He had told her that she could be anybody she wanted to be. _Who do I want to be? _She questioned herself as Gigi smoothed out loose, slightly ruffled skirt of the elegant dress. _Julia Thorne? _She frowned. _Julia Thorne is an assassin. She is cruel and vicious…maybe that is who I have become. _Her frowned deepened. _No, I'm not quite there yet. Somewhere in between the innocent, patriotic Sydney, and the cold-hearted independent Julia…_

"You look ravishing my dear!" Gigi announced suddenly as she finished fastening the back of the corset-style bodice of the gown.

Sydney analyzed herself in the mirror and realized that it was true. The dress was gorgeous, and it fitted her perfectly, highlighting all the best features of her slender frame. The corseted top supported her bosom just enough to tastefully enhance her slight C-cup.

"Do you like it?"

"I do." Sydney nodded. "Very much. It's perfect!"

"Oui, tout à fait." Gigi agreed. "Now, would you like to choose a few more intimate pieces in case this evening goes as you hope?" She motioned towards the large variety of lingerie.

Sydney hesitated briefly. _What do I hope for exactly? Do I hope that Sark will fall in love with me? Do I plan on falling in love with him? _She took a deep breath. _Why can't things just be simple, like before? _She offered Gigi a smile and began looking through the undergarments. _I suppose that for now, all I can hope for is that I will be able to figure out what I want, and Sark's feelings will somehow align with my own…once I figure out what they are exactly…_


	21. Curiosity

"Was everything successful?" Sark asked as he returned to the shop. Sydney had completed her shopping and her selections were being rung up.

"I believe Julia made quite a few excellent choices today." Gigi commented as she folded the items perfectly and placed them in bags. "Oh and I took the liberty of adding a suit for you for this evening."

"Thank you." Sark smiled. "I would like this charged to my account."

"Of course Monsieur Sark," She finished ringing up the purchase and handed the bill to Sark. He signed it quickly. "I appreciate all your help."

"Anytime." She smiled. "Enjoy yourselves this evening." She winked slyly at Sydney, but Sark didn't notice.

He gathered up the dozens of bags and boxes, leaving the smaller items for Sydney. She smiled appreciatively at Gigi and followed Sark out of the shop. He had re-parked the car close to the shop so they could easily load the bags into the trunk.

"Would you care for some lunch?" Sark suggested.

She nodded. "Lunch sounds good."

They got in the car and he drove to an outdoor café, claiming it was the best in the city. She took his word for it, feeling unusually calm in his company. It wasn't so much peace, but a sort of placidity. Along with her growing personal feelings for him, she was finding herself more relaxed as the day progressed. Gigi's suggestion for the night was still nothing more than an innocent thought, however, and Sydney knew that she was not quite ready to be persuaded into bed with Sark...though she couldn't deny the idea was somewhat enticing.

"Sydney…" Sark began once they were seated and the waiter had taken their drink order.

She shook her head.

"Right, I keep slipping, don't I?" He drew his thin lips tight and let his piercing baby blues suck her in. "Julia, yesterday was a bit unsettling, but I have been wanting to ask you about…" He paused. "Before we were interrupted, at the hotel, we'd been having an almost deep conversation which involved you actually being honest with me…"

She nodded. "That's true. I felt it was only fair after what I had…well you know. We don't really need to cover all that again, do we?"

He shook his head. "Not if you'd prefer it that way." He clasped his hands together a dropped his gaze briefly. "I have kept my promise to be honest with you. I think I proved that yesterday, all I want in return is for you to pay me the same curtsey."

She nodded. "Nothing comes free, right?"

Sark's eyes flashed briefly with offense but he calmed expertly. "That's not why I…"

She cut him of quickly. "I know. I'm sorry I shouldn't have said that." She paused as the waiter delivered their drinks, and once he left she continued. "I feel that you have been honest and I agree that you deserve the same. For now at least. So…" She took a deep breath. "What do you want to know?"

Sark was taken back by her sudden willingness to talk to him. "You mean to say, I can ask you anything, and you'll actually answer?"

She nodded. "Within reason."

He leaned back in his chair and took a slow sip of his wine. Sydney could tell he was thinking carefully, and she instantly started to regret the freedom she'd given him. A mischievous grin spread across his lips, and she dreaded what he was about to ask.

"Sydney," He paused as though trying to build up the intensity. "What is your middle name?"

She erupted. She couldn't help herself. She wasn't sure exactly what she'd been expecting, but definitely not something as absurdly simple as his question. Her only response was laughter, but then once she started, she couldn't stop. It was as though his one innocent inquiry had been the key to unlocking her deep well of unused amusement, and now she was falling into a very unnatural fit of hysterics.

Sark watch with complete fascination as the always perfect and professional Sydney Bristow lost herself in uncontrollable giggles. _She is absolutely mind-boggling. Whenever I think I might be close to understanding her, she becomes something else. She's incredible! _He grinned as her eyes started to leak with giddy tears. She tried to stop them but couldn't. Just watching her made him happy and he unintentionally released a chuckle.

The waiter returned to take their order and she desperately tried to compose herself while Sark took the initiative to order for them both in French. As he completed the order, Sydney got herself under control and dabbed at the corners of her eyes with her napkin.

"Do you find me amusing, Miss Bristow?" Sark smiled at her.

She instinctively felt like she should be embarrassed, but instead she found the whole situation rather refreshing. She returned his smile genuinely. "I gave you an opportunity to find out whatever you wanted and you ask for my middle name?"

He shrugged. "I'm working my way up to the larger questions, and I am truly curious."

After a moment of consideration she nodded. "It's Anne."

He mouthed it silently, pondering the name, and then spoke out loud. "Sydney Anne Bristow. Yes, that is actually quite lovely."

She grinned. "Well, I'm glad you approve."

"Are you really?" He asked with a smirk.

She ignored him. "Your turn. What's yours?"

"This wasn't supposed to be a two-sided questionnaire. I was supposed to be finding out all about you." Sark reminded her.

"A while ago you wanted a real conversation, which is what I'm trying to do." She told him. "Besides I'm not a huge fan of twenty questions, so, fess up."

He cocked an eyebrow skeptically, but his eyes were smiling. "Alexander."

"Alexander?" She repeated. Her nose was wrinkled slightly in consideration.

"You don't fancy it?"

She shrugged. "It's sort of ordinary.

"Yet Anne is so exotic…" He retorted.

"No, but nothing about me is exotic."

"And you're saying I'm exotic?" Sark grinned.

She rolled her eyes. "Just your name. Julian Alexander Sark…"

"Right." Sydney remembered. "Julian Alexander Lazarey." She shook her head. "I like Sark better."

He smiled. "So do I."

"I just don't picture you Russian."

He shrugged. "Only half. Just like you."

Sydney was silent for a minute. Of course she realized she was half Russian, it came from her mom, but she'd never really given it much thought until Sark had pointed it out to her. "Your mother was English, then, I'm assuming?" Sydney finally spoke up, clearing her mind of all thoughts of her mother.

He nodded. "That's right." He took another long drought of his wine and then cleared his throat. "Now, let's not get off topic. I'm supposed to be discovering your secrets."

"I didn't say anything about secrets." Sydney protested.

He shrugged. "Whatever you want to believe." He was quiet again momentarily. "I want to know something about you, something I wouldn't be able to learn from your file."

She considered his request carefully. "I don't know what to say…"

"Just say anything. I'm curious."

"About what exactly?"

"Everything. I want to know everything about you." Her eyes widened in surprise and he quickly tried to cover up his slip. "I just mean that…" He shifted in his seat nervously. "I am curious…"

She nodded. "Yea, you said that." Sydney smiled when she realized he was actually a little flushed. "You're embarrassed." She stated with a matter-of-fact smirk.

He shook his head. "Not at all…"

"I've actually managed to make the infamous Julian Sark embarrassed." She grinned.

"Fine, have your victory moment and then please move past it." Sark instructed, trying to control the blush rising into his cheeks.

"Sounds good." She smiled, happily savoring the moment. "Okay, I'm over it."

"Good, then shall we get back to you?"

Sydney thought for a minute, trying to figure out what to tell him. "When I was a child, I wanted to become a famous dancer." She smiled at the memory of her ballet classes her mother had put her in. "A prima ballerina."

Sark grinned. "I don't particularly see you prancing around on your toes, dressed in a frilly pink tutu."

"Thank you." She shrugged. "I don't either. I'm glad I got over that phase." She fixed her stare on him. "Your turn."

He rolled his eyes. "This back and forth thing is a bit annoying…" He realized she wasn't going to relent. "Fine, when I was a boy I wanted to be an astronaut."

"Sark, be serious."

He grinned. "I don't know really. I was always being primped and directed, even as a child it felt as thought my whole life was already mapped out." His expression turned serious as he spoke of his past. "My schooling began very early. I never had much time for dreams or fantasies."

Sydney actually felt pity for him. Her childhood had been traumatizing, obviously, but it had been her own, mostly. She dropped her eyes briefly, realizing that she also had been 'mapped' out as a child. She sucked in her breath and let it out slowly.

"When my mother died, or rather, when Laura Bristow died, my father worked an experiment on me. It was called 'Project Christmas'. He trained me to be an agent, programmed my mind, and then conditioned me to forget about it until I needed my training." She paused for a moment, remembering the pain she had felt the first time she'd learned the truth. "He planted my destiny for me. It makes me wonder if I had any choice about who I've become."

Sark took a moment to let her confession sink in. He realized how personal this information was and how difficult it probably was for her to talk about it, especially to him. "That's why the Covenant was unsuccessful at reconditioning you to be Julia Thorne."

Sydney nodded. "I guess so. He established a safety guard of sorts."

"He protected you." Sark realized. "Even when you were a child, putting you through that training, he was doing it to ensure your safety."

"I know." She agreed softly. "I do know that, but a part of me can't forgive him for it. It's always felt like a betrayal."

He nodded. "I'm sure it does." They were both silent for a moment and then he quietly mumbled: "I'm sorry."

The sincerity in his eyes was unmistakable. She nodded and smiled, thanking him without words. The waiter served them their food and they began to eat, still in silence. It wasn't at all an awkward or resentful silence, though. It was relaxed, comfortable, and mutually understood.

"Do you like it?" He asked, indicating her meal, and finally breaking the silence.

"Oh God yes! It's delicious." She grinned and took another bite of her chicken parmigiana linguini. She looked up at him suddenly. "Would you like to taste it?"

He smiled. "Certainly." He opened his mouth expectantly and she obliged him by fixing a bite for him on her fork and slipping it into his open mouth. He closed his lips around the fork and gracefully took the bite. "You're right, that's superb."

For a moment she considered the odd intimacy of sharing her food, and more particularly, her fork, but she shrugged off the thought, quickly reaching across the table and snatching a bite of Sark's maple-salmon salad. He lifted an eyebrow curiously and she shrugged. "Well, you clearly weren't going to offer."

He smiled. "You should know you're always welcome to anything of mine." He beckoned for the waiter and asked for a refill on his wine.

Sydney's eyes wandered around the café and her attention was caught by a young couple two tables away. The man was out of his chair and dropping to one knee. Sydney couldn't stop her eyes from tearing up as he withdrew a ring box from his jacket pocket and held it out to his girlfriend.

Sark noticed the sadness in her expression and again he felt himself hating Michael Vaughn. "Were you engaged?"

"What?" Sydney attention snapped to Sark.

"Did Michael Vaughn ever propose to you?" He asked.

Sydney shook her head. "No." She remembered the plans they'd had to go to Santa Barbara. She liked to believe that he had intended to propose then. "He never got a chance."

Sark pursed his lips. "I'm sure he wanted to…" He paused, not really sure what to say. "If things had been different."

She shrugged. "You mean if I hadn't been presumed dead and he hadn't fallen for the first blonde bimbo who batted her eyes at him?"

Sark smiled. "You're not at all bitter, are you?"

Sydney sighed. "Am I a terrible person?"

Sark laughed slightly. "I don't think you're asking the right person."

"I should be happy that he's moved on, that he's found someone to make his life with…" She continued as though she hadn't heard Sark's comment. "But I can't help it…I hate him for forgetting about me."

"I doubt he's forgotten you." Sark tried to encourage her, but he knew her feelings were perfectly justified.

"He didn't even wait for a whole year!" A tear rolled down her cheek and she dropped her head, trying to hide the fact that she was crying. "He should have waited. He should have made sure. With everything that we've lived through…he knows that there are always special circumstances…" Sark decided it was best to remain silent and let her speak her mind. "If the situation had been reversed…"

"You would have waited." Sark finished for her.

She glanced up at him and nodded. "I just don't understand what kind of love can be replaced in only nine months!"

"True love would never be replaced." Sark said simply.

Sydney's eyes narrowed sharply and he instantly wished he hadn't said it. "He loved me…"

"Of course he did Sydney. I didn't mean that…"

_He's right._ Sydney realized to herself, though it killed her to admit it. _What Vaughn and I had was special. It was love, but…was it true? Was it forever? _She shook her head, finally starting to accept the truth. _We were happy and we could have gotten married. But I don't know…I don't know if it was perfect._

"Sydney…" Sark spoke softly after she'd been quiet for a short while. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up something painful for you…"

"It doesn't matter." She forced a smile onto her face. "Michael Vaughn is a part of my past." She cleared her throat and took a quite bite of her meal before speaking again. "He's obviously happy in his new life, and it would be best for me to move on and make the most of mine."

Sark nodded and held his wine glass towards her, indicating for her to do the same with her own glass. She smiled and lifted it. "For the sake of your new life and mine, and the success of our partnership." Their glasses made a very soft _clink_ as they tapped them together. "Cheers."

"Cheers." Sydney repeated, and they drank.


	22. Business or Pleasure?

_A/N: I am so sorry it's taken me so long to update! I've been trying to stay regular, but I started my second year of college last week and the work load has become ridiculous, so unfortunately that has taken priority over my writing. On top of that, my Beta reader has become mysteriously MIA, so she hasn't gotten a chance to check this, so I apologize in advance for any mistakes! I hope ya'll haven't given up on me, and I promise I'll do my best to update more frequently. I already have the next update mostly finished so that should be up in a couple days. XOXOXO_

_Alright, what the hell is wrong with me? I'm a professional. I am trained to ignore my emotions. So why is it so damn difficult all of a sudden? _

Sark knew perfectly well why it was hard. He'd barely been able to think of anything but Sydney since that night in her hotel room in Venice. Out of respect he'd walked away, but since then he'd been fearing that he might have lost his once chance with her.

_That just wasn't the way I wanted it to happen with her. I want her to come to me because she wants to be with me, not because she wants to forget someone else. _

After their lunch that day though, and the way she had been opening up to him…he sensed something different in her attitude. He felt her becoming less guarded. He was allowing himself to hope. _But I can't rush anything. She's still so fragile from Vaughn – that bastard. But even a little hint from her…_His thoughts stopped when he saw her approach from the bathroom where she'd been changing.

"Sark, don't stare like that. I can't read your expression." Sydney self-consciously adjusted the straps on the exquisite blank satin evening dress. "Do I look okay?

Sark snapped out of his trance and started nodding. "Sydney, you look beautiful."

She blushed and smiled. "You're sweet."

He moved towards her and helped her into her black fur wrap. "That is the exact dress I would have chosen for you."

_I know. _She smiled and thanked him for his help and eyed his attire with guarded admiration. "You look very…" She grinned. "Suave."

"I always do." He reminded her with his signature self-assured half-smile. He held out his arm and she placed her hand in the crook of his elbow. They left the public restroom where they had both changed for the show and out to the car. Sark drove quickly to the magnificent theater and checked his car into valet.

He watched her emerge from the car and unconsciously caught his breath. While working with Sloane, Sark had seen Sydney in dozens of aliases, and many of them were quite breathtaking, but now, she was with him, dressed up just for him – a relaxing night at the theater. There was no alias. It was just her, and she was gorgeous.

"Sark, you're doing that staring thing again." Sydney mentioned and he quickly moved to escort her into the building.

When they reached their seats, Sydney gasped. "Boxed seats?" She smiled. "Are you trying to impress me?"

He shrugged. "Perhaps. I just wanted to make sure you enjoy yourself fully." He directed her to her seat. "How am I doing?

"Don't worry. It's not going to be very hard to enjoy myself." She settled into her seat and looked towards the stage excitedly.

Nearly thirty minutes into the show, Sydney glanced at Sark and whispered giddily. "This is spectacular, isn't it?"

It was then that Sark realized he had barely been paying attention to the performance. He hadn't been watching the actors. He had been watching her. He had been unconsciously analyzing every detail of her features. The freckles on her skin, the highlights of her hair, the way her mouth twitched upward at an excited scene, and then way her eyes crinkled with emotion at the sad scenes.

"Yes, spectacular." He agreed with her, without taking his eyes off of her.

He had always respected Sydney Bristow, as an agent, but now he was discovering so much more about her and it fascinated him even more. He realized after some slow and careful consideration, he was beginning to fall the natural charms of Sydney Bristow, as a woman.

She is so incredible. He smiled and mechanically leaned closer to her, feeling a desire to be near her. _I wish I could make her happy. I want so desperately for her to be happy. _He frowned. _How can I make her understand that? How can I convince her to trust me?_

"Wow, you smell really good!" She hadn't meant to say it out loud and after she did, her face instantly blushed red. "i…you're just sitting so close…"

Sark realized it was true. "Sorry." He quickly leaned away from her.

"No, I don't mind…" she told him.

"Really?" He beamed.

She shrugged. "A performance like this, it isn't really something fun to experience alone."

Sark nodded. "I think I know what you mean." He moved closer to her again and she smiled briefly before returning her attention to the stage.

_There may be hope yet._ His whole body felt lighter as his mind started filling with hopeful expectations.

Near the end of the performance the emotional plot began to crescendo and out of natural instinct, Sark slipped his arm around the back of Sydney's chair offering her his comfort. He was delightfully surprised when she leaned into him, letting him wrap his arm more securely around her. But that was as far as he took it. He sensed that she needed a degree of comfort from him, but pushing it any farther would only make her uncomfortable and so he happily kept his arm around her for the remainder of the show and as they walked out to the car. They talked casually about the performance, but not about their unusual closeness. It just felt right; both were content.

…………

_I don't know what I was thinking._ Sydney laughed to herself the next morning as she lay in bed, slowing waking up. _Paris is like a poison. Being there plants unrealistic feelings of passion in the mind…_She stretched lazily. _I can't believe I actually let Gigi talk me into wearing that lingerie…_She glanced across the room to the chair where she had discarded the fancy underwear the previous night. _What exactly was I expecting? Did I really think that something would change my mind so drastically that I'd actually sleep with Julian Sark? _She thought in denial, but a part of her mind knew that was exactly what she had been thinking. It wasn't as farfetched as she tried to convince herself. Everything about the previous day had been different, more relaxed and comfortable, and in a strange way, she had been happy, with Sark.

_It was the theater._ She told herself firmly, trying to escape the reality of her changing feelings. _It put me in a weird mood…_She sighed. _The whole atmosphere was damn too romantic…and magical. _She smiled slightly, remembering how delicious the slight scent of his cologne had been, and how comforting it had felt when Sark slipped his arm around her shoulders

At one time she would have slapped him for touching her and she would have been repulsed by his smell. But last night, things were different. Actually, she knew that they'd been different for a while, progressively changing ever since…well, she didn't know the exact moment things had started to change, but they had definitely been changing quickly since Venice. His respect for her had shown her a new side of Sark, and it amazed her, and in a way, it excited her. He was more than just the young, cocky, suave terrorist that she'd always seen him to be. He was a truly considerate and passionate gentleman, and she had started to fall for him - even if she wasn't anywhere close to admitting it yet.

There was a soft knock on the door and she sat up, a little less then fully alert. "Come in."

"Ah, I was coming to see if you were awake…" Eileen peeked her head into the bedroom.

"Good morning Eileen!" Sydney responded.

"Mr. Sark asked me to come and escort you down to the library where he is waiting for you with breakfast."

Sydney smiled and slipped out of bed, accepting her robe from Eileen. "Sark tells me that you use to be his nanny."

Eileen nodded. "That's true Miss Thorne."

"What can you tell me about him?" Sydney asked as she began searching for an outfit from her new collection.

Eileen hesitated. "I wouldn't know what to tell you ma'am. I'm not sure Mr. Sark would want me talking about his private life matters."

Sydney shrugged. "I'm sure there's sometime you could tell me." She held up a pair of soft black trousers and a funky gray and white tank top with a drawstring hemline.

Eileen frowned at the outfit and Sydney quickly returned the shirt to the closet. "You should know that Julian has never brought one of his women home before."

Sydney corrected her quickly. "Eileen, Mr. Sark and I aren't in a relationship. We're business partners. We work together, professionally. That's all…" Sydney stopped as Eileen picked up the lingerie Sydney had left on the chair.

"Yes, I can see you are strictly professional…"

Sydney frowned and quickly snatched the clothing away from Eileen and buried it in one of the dresser drawers. "I'll be dressed in a minute." She took the black pants and simple white zip-up sweater into the bathroom to change. She washed her face and brushed out her hair and then returned to Eileen. "Please take me down to Mr. Sark. We have a lot of work to do."

Eileen nodded and led Sydney down the hallway, stopping at a closed set of heavy double doors. She pushed open the doors and stepped back. "Here you are ma'am."

Sydney nodded curtly at Eileen and stepped into the room. She raised her eyebrow at Eileen sharply. "Please see to it that we are not disturbed."

Eileen didn't hide her irritated scowl and Sydney's demanding tone, but she nodded obediently and shut the doors. Sark glanced up at Sydney and stood to greet her.

"I had hoped you and Eileen would get along cordially, but I can see that something has happened between the two of you."

Sydney didn't know how to respond. "She's a nice woman."

"Then why has she upset you?" Sark inquired as Sydney settled into the chair across the table from Sark's seat. "Sark, you shouldn't pay attention to my mood. I'm still barely awake."

Sark nodded. "Having a bit of a lie in?"

She nodded. "I guess I was more tired than I realized last night."

"Well, perhaps after you've gotten your senses together and have woken up a bit more, you and Eileen will be able to make amends."

Sydney shrugged. "She's too curious."

"About what exactly?"

"About us."

"Us?" Sark repeated curiously. "I'm not sure I understand. Was she curious about our work?"

"Umm, not exactly."

"Then…" Sark stopped, suddenly comprehending. "Oh, Sydney I'm sorry. My staff isn't used to this…I mean, I've never had a business partner before. Not a young woman anyway."

Sydney shrugged. "It doesn't matter I guess. I'm just not really comfortable with your housekeeper questioning the particulars of my personal life…" She cleared her throat. "Especially when the facts aren't even true."

Sark nodded silently and poured her a cup of coffee. "I will talk to my staff and correct them on the matter. Especially Eileen. She always has been too involved in my private affairs."

"It's not her fault." Sydney decided. "It must be confusing for you to bring a woman here who you aren't involved with."

"Actually, I've never brought any of my girlfriends here." He told her.

"Yes, Eileen did mention that." Sydney commented. "Do you have a long list of girlfriends?"

Sark smiled. "Yesterday was the time for personal conversation. Today we focus on work."

Sydney rolled her eyes at his silence. "Right, work. Let's get to it."

"After we eat." Sark indicated the covered platters on the table. "I'm not sure what you prefer, so I had Mitzi fix a bit of everything." He started uncovering the dishes and motioned for Sydney to make her selections first. She chose a small variety of fried eggs, turkey bacon, potatoes, toast, and half a grapefruit. Sark was smiling when she finished her selections. "I like that you have a hearty appetite."

She shrugged. "I'm hungry, and this food smells amazing."

"Would you care for some juice? Or coffee?"

"What, no champagne?" Sydney teased.

He grinned. "If you'd prefer it."

"We could always have mimosas."

"That sounds delicious!" Sark agreed instantly, ignoring the fact that Sydney was mostly joking. He pressed a button on the side of the table and a moment later the doors had opened and an older man that Sydney hadn't met yet was entering the room.

"You rang, Mr. Sark?" He spoke with a crisp English accent.

"Now that's impressive." Sydney grinned, eyeing the call button with interest.

"Charles, Julia and I would like mimosas, please."

Charles nodded, bowing slightly at his waist and briskly left the room to accomplish his errand.

"You've got a whole command of trained animals don't you?" Sydney commented once they were alone again.

Sark ignored her mocking. "Charles is George's assistant. He takes care of the odds and ends around the house – whatever is required of him."

"How many do you have on your staff here?"

"George, Charles, Mitzi, Eileen and her assistant Penny." Sark rattled off the names of his employers as if they were days of the week. "Hunter is my groundskeeper, and you met Chet and Captain Travis yesterday. My chauffer is Joseph, but you'll rarely see him around the house…" Sydney muttered something about the castle not being a house, but he ignored her and continued. "And then I told you about the two who run the errands into town. They are Stephan and Linda."

"That's amazing." Sydney decided. "No wonder you're so successful in business, you have an entire empire of workers to keep everything running fluently."

He smiled. "I suppose." He glanced up as Charles returned to the room, carrying a silver tray with two tall glasses, a bottle of champagne, and a small jug of orange juice. "Thank you Charles."

He placed the tray on the table and quickly mixed the drinks for the two of them. "Here you are Miss Thorne." Charles served her first.

Sydney took the drink and tasted it quickly. "It's perfect, thank you."

Sark looked pleased and turned to accept his own drink from Charles next. "That will be all for now, thank you."

Charles nodded and left the room, closing the door after his exit.

Sark smiled at Sydney when they were alone again. "What should we toast to this morning?"

Sydney shrugged. "A beautiful morning?" She glanced past him to the floor-to-ceiling window against the far wall, taking notice of the golden sunlight illuminating pure white clouds and a perfect blue sky.

"Certainly. A beautiful morning and a beautiful _business_ partner." He emphasized the word with a smirk.

"I look awful this morning! I didn't have any time to get fixed up…"

"Nonsense, you always look beautifully."

For the first time, Sydney didn't try to rebuke him for his compliment. She smiled genuinely. "Cheers."

"Cheers." Sark seemed pleased that she chose not to comment on his honest compliment.

…………….

"Where the hell have you been?"

Sydney grimaced at the sound of Kendall's angry voice coming loud and clear through the telephone. "I'm in Scotland."

"What're you doing in Scotland?" Kendall demanded.

"Sark and I are…"

"You're with Sark?" Kendall interrupted.

Sydney hesitated. She had been at Sark's castle for almost a full week and after all the long days of casual breakfasts and hard work that they'd been completing together, she had been becoming more and more used to him being a part of her life. She'd almost forgotten that other people, such as Kendall, wouldn't be as understanding of their growing friendship, or whatever it was exactly that they had.

"I expect an explanation, Agent Bristow."

Sydney took a deep breath and quickly sorted out her words before she started rambling to Kendall. "We were compromised in Venice…"

"Was it Vaughn? Did he see you?"

"No." Sydney tried not to let her emotions get the better of her as her mind once again pictured Vaughn and his wife at the party together. "I think it was Okenberg's men. They found us at our hotel."

"Did you escape safely?"

"Yes. I got us out of the hotel, and Sark got us out of the city." Sydney told him.

"You should have contacted me the moment you were able." Kendall reprimanded her.

Sydney rolled her eyes. "I didn't feel a need to. For the past few days, we have been sorting through all the information we acquired from Okenberg's personal computer. We had to separate the common facts from the useful information. It's taken us quite a while."

"And you've done this all with Julian Sark. You gave him full access to all this information…"

"Sark is my partner." Sydney reminded him. "You forced me to stay with him and now you have to respect my decision to work with him." She paused. "He has been very helpful."

Kendall was silent for a minute and she could tell that he wasn't happy with her decision. "Where did you say you were now?"

"We're in Scotland." She told him.

"Are you at one of our safe houses?" Kendall questioned.

"No. Sark brought me to his home."

"You're at Julian Sark's private residence?"

"Yes." Sydney answered quickly.

"Do you realize how useful this could be?" Kendall exclaimed suddenly.

"What do you mean?"

"Sark has been one of our most formidable opponents for quite some time, mainly because his resources are innumerable and it has been impossible to keep steady tabs on him." Kendall informed her. Sydney kept quiet, feeling that she knew here he was taking this. "You are in a position to make Sark vulnerable! You could bug his house, or even lead us to it later for us to apprehend him…"

"No." She spat it out quickly before she could stop herself.

"Excuse me?"

Sydney sighed and repeated herself. "No."

"What do you mean, no?" Kendall's voice was rising indignantly.

"I didn't agree to work with Sark so you could use me as a spy." Sydney reminded him. "I know he's done a lot of stuff in the past to piss us off, but since we have been working together he hasn't done anything to make me distrust him." She cleared her throat, starting to lose her nerve. "He's not exactly my favorite person in the world, but I am not going to betray him."

"Agent Bristow, do you realize that by saying this you are close to committing treason against your country?" Kendall warned.

"Don't bother trying to threaten me Kendall. I'm not doing anything wrong. While we have been working together, Sark has not been committing any terrorist acts. In fact, he's been more or less helping the CIA, by helping me. And because of his cooperation, I trust him."

Kendall was quiet again and she knew he was trying to organize his thoughts without exploding into another lecture. "We'll discuss this later, Agent Bristow. For now you need to send me the information you've discovered so I can have Lazarey look it over."

"Of course. You'll have in within the hour." Sydney clicked off her cell phone and dropped her head back against the edge of the leather sofa where she was sitting in peace in the library.

"I have to admit, I'm a bit surprised."

Sark's voice from the doorway startled Sydney and she jumped up quickly. "How long have you been there?" She asked as she spied him leaning against the doorframe.

He shrugged. "Long enough." He started walking towards her. "Long enough to hear you defend me to your CIA employer."

Sydney blushed. "I wasn't…"

"Don't try to hide the truth now, Sydney. You told him you trusted me." A smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "Whether or not you'd ever planned on telling me so, I know that you meant it."

She nodded. "I did. I mean, I do, I guess."

Now he smiled broadly. "I appreciate you saying it."

She returned his smile. "Don't let it go to your head."

His cocky smirk returned. "As you wish." He motioned towards the large mahogany desk in the far corner of the room and she followed him over to it. "Now, I suppose we should make the call to the Covenant, and let them know what we've been up to."

She smiled. "At least all that we want them to know."

"Exactly." Sark sat in the high-backed chair behind the desk and she perched on the edge of the desk. They had already worked out what false and what real information they would feed to the Covenant in order to keep them from getting too suspicious. He used the desk phone to dial the covenant and put it on speaker so they could both be a part of the conversation.

"Hello Mr. Easton, it's Julian Sark." Sark spoke with a perfectly calm and professional tone when their Covenant contact answered his phone.

"Mr. Sark!" His voice expressed a mix of surprise, delight, and confusion. "Where have you been hiding?"

"Oh, here and there." Sark answered casually. "But don't worry, we've been working dutifully."

"We?"

"Marti, it's Julia!" Sydney spoke up.

"Miss Thorne, are the two of you together?" Marti questioned.

"If you're referring to our locale, then yes." Sark replied.

Sydney smiled at his clarification. "I do apologize for taking so long to contact you, Marti, but Sark and I had to lie low for a while."

"Oh?" Marti's voice was full of questions that he clearly wasn't going to ask.

"Mm, yes." Sark responded. "Mr. Okenberg proved to be a bit more of a challenge then we had anticipated. He was also much more insightful than we would have liked. He sent men to our hotel room and we've been giving a rousing act of ditch the bodyguards for a couple of days."

"I see." Marti replied, though his voice still sounded skeptical.

Sydney's eyebrows furrowed and she hoped desperately that he would buy their lies. Sark shook his head at her and placed a comforting hand on her knee. "But we have the data you requested and will be returning to Rome tomorrow morning to deliver it to you."

"Will that be satisfactory for you, Marti?" Sydney asked, keeping her voice perfectly steady.

"Yes, it will be fine. Though in the future it would be best for you to check in once in a while if you're in a tight spot." Marti informed her.

"I will keep that in mind." Sydney replied respectfully.

"Very good. I'll meet you tomorrow then, the usual time and place."

"Sounds like a plan." Sydney smiled at Sark and he chimed in with a perfectly timed "cheerio" to blend with hers. He hung up the phone and she let out a deep breath. "He seemed uncertain."

"Yes, but I think he is mostly convinced and tomorrow we'll be sure to persuade him in full." Sark stood and held his hand out to her, helping her slide off the desk. "So, we have only a few more hours to enjoy ourselves. What should we do?"

Sydney shrugged. "This week's been so tiring with all the paper work, I'd kind of just like to relax today."

Sark nodded. "That seems like a decent plan. Perhaps you would like to go for a swim."

"You have a pool here?" Sydney wasn't sure why that bit of news should surprise her.

Sark nodded. "I have a complete spa. I could call for a masseuse if you'd enjoy a massage."

Sydney smiled. "You're spoiling me again."

He grinned. "Maybe a little."


	23. Food Fight Flirting

"Can I bring you anything else?" Charles asked Sydney as he delivered her a frozen margarita. She stretched out in the comfortable lounge chair beside the impressive outdoor pool.

She smiled up at the servant and shook her head. "No thank you Charles."

He nodded. "Very well ma'am." And he left her to her peace, though she was only alone for a few moments.

"Good afternoon Miss Thorne."

"Hi Chet." Sydney greeted him, sipping her margarita slowly. "I haven't seen you around much this week."

Chet nodded. "Mr. Sark keeps my busy."

"I'm sure he does." Sydney smiled. "How are you?"

"Fine, thank you for asking." He grinned. "And yourself?"

"Well enough. A little sad to be leaving actually." She confessed. "It's so beautiful here." Her eyes scanned the expansive grounds admiringly. "But I'm going home tomorrow."

Chet nodded. "Mr. Sark told me. We're flying to Rome first thing in the morning." He took the initiative to sit on the chair beside Sydney. "I have to admit, I'm a little disappointed to see you leave. Your presence here had been refreshing in this dismal fortress."

Sydney was caught off guard by his forward personality. "You're very sweet."

"I'm not just trying to be sweet, Miss Thorne…" he paused. "Can I call you Julia?"

"Umm, sure…" Sydney was not trying not to laugh at Chet's over-eager attitude.

"Great!" His smile widened. "Julia…"

"Chet!" Sark called out as he approached. "I gave you a list of duties to see to, which should be keeping you preoccupied until departure tomorrow." Sark stood on Sydney's other side with his hands on his hips. "If you have enough time to flirt shamelessly with Julia, then perhaps you need more work."

Chet's face flushed red and he stood quickly. "I will see you tomorrow Julia…" He caught Sark's glare and corrected himself. "Uh, Miss Thorne." He darted off quickly.

"Wow, I think he's actually frightened." Sydney smiled sarcastically at Sark. "He wasn't bothering me, really. He's sweet."

Sark shook his head. "You shouldn't encourage him."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Chet's a horny bastard." Sark stated bluntly. "And you're flaunting yourself like that!" He waved his had over her body, indicating her skimpy white bikini.

Sydney blushed and crossed her arms over her chest. "You're the one that suggested I enjoy the pool."

"I know, but I didn't suggest you throat yourself at him!" He tossed his hand out in the direction Chet had just gone. "He's just a kid!"

Sydney bristled. "I did not throw myself at anyone! He came up to me! And he's only a couple years younger than either of us!" She stood up quickly, holding her glass tightly. "He's on your staff! Perhaps you should keep a better watch on him." She glared. "What the hell does it matter to you anyway? He was just being nice! You should try it once in a while…"

"God Sydney, do you honestly believe he was looking for a decent conversation?" Sark's voice was growing intense. "He wanted to get you in bed!" Sydney's jaw dropped. "You're half naked for Christ's sake!"

Releasing her frustration in a sudden fury, Sydney tossed the entire contents of her margarita into Sark's face. "You picked this bathing suit out you controlling self-centered son-of-a-bitch!" She snatched up her towel from the chair and strutted away, only half-consciously giving him a perfect view of her barely covered body.

_Well. That didn't go very well. _Sark used a spare towel to dry his face. _What is wrong with me? I wanted to have one last decent evening with her and I ruined it. _He started walking back towards the house, trying to figure out exactly why he had reacted so strongly. He stopped walking when the answer came to him. _I'm jealous. _He let out a short sigh and hung his head. _Damnit. I'm pathetic. _

…………

"So, I imagine I'm being punished now." Sark commented with a sigh. After the incident at the pool, Sydney had been completely silent to him. She hadn't been indignant enough to skip dinner, but even though they were sitting together, alone, in the elegant dining room, she had yet to say a word to him. He was past regret. Sark knew that if he could take back the events of the afternoon, he would in a second, if it meant she'd speak to him again. "Come now Sydney. I know I'm not your favorite person, but I have to believe that we've enjoyed a rather decent week together." He sipped his wine, letting her have a moment to speak if she chose to take it. She didn't, and so he continued. "I am very sorry if what I said or did today offended you. I suppose in the future, it'd be best for me to keep my opinions quiet."

Sydney let out a short grunt, which he took for her agreement, but she didn't say anything. Instead she took a bit of her steak and stared at him sharply, encouraging him to continue.

"After you announced that I'd finally gained your trust, I had hoped that we were finally reaching a state of friendship…" Sark told her. "I must admit, I was rather delighted…" She grunted again, this time sounding a bit irritated. "Sydney, please, I am not a mind reader. What is bothering you?" She still didn't answer. "If I'm wrong to hope for a friendship, then just tell me…"

"You don't want to be friends Sark!" She burst suddenly.

"I beg your pardon?" He frowned.

"You keep talking about how much you want us to be friends, and how important trust is, but you're lying!" Sydney accused.

"But I do…"

"No. You don't." Sydney cut him off. _Oh, I'm going to regret this so much!_ She told herself as she prepared to speak again. She knew she shouldn't say it, but she couldn't stop herself. "You want to have a relationship with me!"

Sark was stunned. He cleared his throat and took a very long sip of his wine while he tried to think of a suitable answer for her.

Meanwhile, Sydney was trying to avoid looking at him at all. As soon as the words had let her mouth she regretted them. She knew that Sark was attracted to her, just as she was to him. And she assumed that she knew why he had lectured her this afternoon, and she assumed she knew exactly what he wanted, but his silent reaction was making her nervous. _I'm such an idiot! _She busied herself with her meal. _What if he's just the kind of guy that comes off that way, and he doesn't really like me at all like that? I just totally humiliated myself! How are we supposed to work together now? _

"I'm sorry…" She finally spoke up, knowing that she had to say something to fix the awkward silence that she had invoked. "I shouldn't have said that…I was confused about today, and I just overreacted to everything…"

Sark shook his head, making her stop talking. "Don't apologize Sydney. What you said was true." She stared at him, anxiously waiting to hear the rest of what he was going to say. "But everything that I've said is true as well. I have been desperately trying to earn your trust so that we may be able to build a solid foundation for a friendship, and from that a partnership – a business relationship."

"A business relationship?" Sydney repeated dismally.

"I don't think that I have ever hidden my attraction to you, Sydney." He told her simply. "I find you to be a beautiful and incredibly talented woman, and quite frankly, I truly enjoy being in your company." He paused. "However, I have tried to be respectful of everything you've been going through this past year. I believe that your life is complicated enough without me selfishly trying to initiate some form of romantic situation…"

"And what exactly would you consider taking me to Paris?" She questioned.

Sark shrugged. "A friendly gesture…"

"Sark…" Sydney rolled her eyes.

"Alright, perhaps my actions do not always match up to my intentions, but I would not want to make things uncomfortable for you. And I would especially not want to do anything to make you upset with me." Sark explained.

She considered his explanation for a minute and then smiled slightly. "This afternoon…"

"I was jealous, alright? Is that what you wanted to hear? I didn't like seeing you out there with Chet. I know what sort of mind he has, and I could see the way he looked at you…" Sark shook his head. "But I realize that it wasn't my place. You told me once that you would like to be considered responsible enough to make your own decisions regarding relationships, and I should have respected that. From now on I intend to stay out of your way and to keep my opinions to myself entirely…"

"Sark…"

"Unless you intend to go back to that git, Simon." He shook his head. "Then I will have to speak up, because honestly Sydney, you can do so much better…"

"Sark." She interrupted him firmly and he looked at her. "Thank you."

He gave her a slightly uncertain smile. "Really?"

She nodded. "You're not the person I thought you were."

He started to respond but their privacy was interrupted as a small child cantered into the room. Her flame-red pigtails flopped up and down as she bounded towards Sark.

"Uncle Ju-Ju!" Her chubby little face was lit up by a wide smile, revealing her two missing front teeth.

Sark stood and caught the little girl up in his arms. "I didn't know that Princess Lilah was coming tonight!" He decorated her forehead and cheeks with kisses and she squealed with excited giggles.

"No no no!" She shook her head emphatically.

"What's wrong?" Sark questioned her as Sydney watched with fascinated amusement.

"Not a princess!" She informed him.

"You're not?" Sark frowned. "But I thought that last week you were the most powerful princess in all of Scotland, and I was your faithful servant!"

She shook her head again.

"Alright, then what are we this week?"

She grinned broadly and her red cheeks dimpled. "I want to be a mermaid!"

"A mermaid?" Sark repeated with a knowing grin. "Then, what's this mermaid doing out of the water?"

"I had to come and get my Prince!" She informed him with an authoritative gleam in her brilliant green eyes.

"Am I your Prince?" Sark asked her. She nodded. "My, I must say that's quite an improvement from your servant." He started tickling her and she giggled again, trying to slap his hands away.

"I'm so sorry Mr. Sark!" Joseph, the chauffer, entered the room, shaking his head apologetically. "Lilah was so excited to see you!" He reached his arms out to the little girl. "Come now sweetie, Mr. Sark is in the middle of dinner." Little Lilah clung desperately to the collar of Sark's suit jacket and buried her face in his shoulder, clearly not planning on leaving anytime son.

"Nonsense, Joseph. You know I'm always delighted to see her." Sark stroked the little girl's red hair with a tenderness that surprised Sydney. "Plus she's just made me a prince, so of course that's good news for me!"

"I need to be in water!" Lilah insisted, suddenly firm.

"Ah, of course. Lilah is a mermaid." Sark informed Joseph.

"Oh, Mr. Sark, I am sorry. She was watching _The Little Mermaid_ before we came over here…"

"Yes, that would explain it." Sark shrugged. "She's welcome to use the pool, though I'm not sure if I could watch her at the moment…" he glanced at Sydney who was still watching him, completely mesmerized.

Lilah seemed to notice her for the first time. "Who's that?"

"Lilah, don't be rude." Joseph critiqued.

Sark smiled and brought the little girl over to Sydney. "Lilah, I'd like you to meet a very special woman. This is Julia, she works with me."

Sydney grinned and stood up. "It's a pleasure to meet you Lilah."

"She is Joseph's daughter." Sark explained.

Lilah was still analyzing Sydney. "Do you love her?" She asked suddenly.

Sark froze and Sydney tried hard not to laugh at the irony of the child's innocent timing. She waited for Sark to answer. He didn't seem sure how. "Julia, is a good friend…"

Luckily Lilah seemed bored with the whole situation very quickly. "I want to swim!"

"Okay, Lilah, your daddy will take you out there and I will join you in a minute, alright?" Sark handed the girl over to her father, with only a few protests.

When Joseph and Lilah had left, Sydney turned to Sark with laughter in her eyes. "That was so staged! You planned that entire thing!"

Sark gasped. "I did not!" He insisted. "Lilah is simply a curious child with impeccable timing…"

"Whatever! It was a performance! You may as well have brought in a violinist and a puppy with a pink tutu!"

"And what exactly, would the puppy be doing here?" Sark questioned with a grin.

Sydney shrugged, with her own grin to match and resumed eating while Sark returned to his own chair. "Where were we, Uncle Ju-Ju?"

Sark rolled his eyes. "You were telling me what an incredible person I was and how much you admire me and also how incredibly handsome I am…"

"Yea, yea." Sydney smirked and chucked a soft bread roll across the table. He ducked out of the way and it soared into the wall.

"You missed." He informed her casually, preparing his own bread roll ammunition.

Sydney shook her head. "You'd never try to hit a lady!"

He shrugged and threw the roll at her, striking her shoulder. "I suppose I would."

She gasped and narrowed her eyes. "Now it's war!" She snatched up two more small rolls and aimed them at his head. One missed but the other struck him on the cheek. She bounded out of her chair and crouched under the table as he sent another one towards her.

"Hey, no fair hiding!" Sark grabbed a handful of broiled baby carrots, knelt down to her level and started pelting them at her.

She squealed and tried to crawl out of the line of fire but he adjusted his aim and successfully continued his attack. She hurried back over to the table and equipped herself with a few small red potatoes before standing and throwing them at Sark. He stood as well, expertly maneuvering himself away from her aim.

"You're not doing very well, Miss Bristow!" Sark grinned, hitting her in the back of the head with another roll.

She glared at him bitterly and sprinted out of the dining room and into the adjoining kitchen. Sark followed quickly. When he caught up with her though he saw that she had grabbed a bottle of champagne from the counter and was shaking it furiously with her thumb positioned to pop off the cork.

"No! Sydney, no!" He held his hands up in surrender. "You wouldn't be so cruel!" He motioned to his outfit. "This suit cost me close to a thousand dollars!"

Sydney rolled her eyes. "That's disgusting." She continued shaking the bottle.

"You will be sorry…" Sark warned her, darting to the refrigerator to find his own ammunition. He withdrew a jar of caramel sauce but before he had a chance to open it Sydney had released the cork and the champagne exploded, drenching them both, as well as most of the floor around them.

Sydney glanced at Sark with an innocent smile. "Oops…"

He lifted an eyebrow and took a step towards her. "I warned you…"

She backed away from him. "Now Sark, stay calm…it was an accident…" She held her hands out to fend him off.

"An accident?" He gave her a mischievous smile. "Is that so?" He moved towards her again and she again backed away. "Then I apologize now for any accidents I may have…" He took a slightly larger step towards her, holding the jar threateningly, but as he took his step, his foot slipped on the champagne-soaked floor and he dropped the jar, letting it shatter on the floor as he reached out and caught hold of Sydney's outstretched arms trying to keep his balance. Instead of steadying him though, Sydney lost her footing as well and the two of them tumbled to the ground.

"That was graceful…" Sydney moaned, trying to wriggle free from Sark's body, which had trapped her on the ground.

"Wasn't it?" Sark grinned and quickly rolled off of her and took her hands, trying to get them both to their feet. He slipped again though and dropped back to the floor, this time pulling her down on top of him. "Sorry!" He exclaimed, trying to break her fall but failing miserably. "Are you hurt at all?"

Sydney shook her head, beginning to giggle. She tried pushing herself up off of him, but she was laughing too hard to hold herself up and she dropped onto him again. She rolled over to the side, lying beside Sark; her body trembled with laughter. Just looking at her made him start to laugh, which made her quiet for a minute, realizing that she'd never heard him genuinely laugh.

"I like your laugh." She told him suddenly, turning her head to look at him.

He stopped laughing briefly but then started to laugh again, this time harder. She joined in, thinking about how ridiculous the situation was. She was lying with Julian Sark on the marble floor of the kitchen of his castle, laughing more hysterically than she had since she was a kid.

"Thank you." He grinned, gasping for breath as their laughter started to subside. "I rather fancy yours also."

"Oh do you?" She grinned, giggling slightly. "Do you fancy it?" She mocked him with her fake English accent.

He playfully swatted her arm. "Yes I do." He rolled towards her and began to push himself to his knees. "We should probably start making plans for tomorrow when we return to Rome…"

Sydney nodded. "Probably…" Before she really understood what she was doing, Sydney reached out and placed her palm against his cheek.

"Sydney…" He let out a surprised murmur as he felt her gentle touch. He pulled his head back slightly and her hand fell to his neck.

"I know…" She whispered, smiling slightly. "Let me make my own decisions." She pulled him towards herself and he willingly obliged by lowering himself closer to her until their lips met.

The kiss was slow and very calm, nothing at all like the passionate kisses they shared while undercover as Adele and Edward. It was the perfect, real, first kiss. His tender lips caressed hers eagerly as she reciprocated with her own sweet and careful passion.

"Well that was…" Sark let his words drop away as he instead took a few deep breaths to calm himself after the exhilarating kiss.

"We shouldn't talk about it." Sydney decided quickly.

Sark gazed at her with his spectacularly large blue eyes. "Are you sure?" He looked more than just a little disappointed, but nodded in understanding and stood quickly, giving her a hand to help her up. "Whatever you want." He gave her one more hopeless stare before turning and heading out of the kitchen. "I'll have Penny clean this up. "I've got to shower and Lilah's waiting for me at the pool."

Sydney watched him leave, feeling almost unable to speak or move. She finally recovered her senses. _What am I doing? _She surveyed the mess of champagne and dinner food scattered across the marble floor and smiled as she replayed the past few minutes in her mind. _I am so going to regret this…_She made her way out of the kitchen and up to Sark's room quickly, before she could change her mind. She knocked on the door and waited impatiently for a couple of minutes before letting herself in.

"Hello?" She stepped into the room cautiously and glanced around. "Are you here?"

The bathroom door opened and Sark stepped out with a white towel wrapped around his waist. He was using another towel to dry his short blonde hair. "Sydney…what are you doing here?"

She suddenly lost her nerve. "Umm, about what just happened…"

He frowned. "I thought you didn't want to talk about it…"

She shrugged. "I know, but I think it'd be better if we did though." She sat on the edge of his bed.

He eyed her curiously. "Sydney if you want to ignore it and pretend it never happened, then I would understand."

"You would?" She felt depleted.

"Well, alright, no. I wouldn't understand, but I would respect your decision." He shrugged. "You should know that."

"I do." She smiled.

"You do?" His face fell. "Then I'll try to erase it from my mind, though it won't be easy…"

She stood up quickly and stepped towards him. "That's not what I meant, Sark." She was very aware of how near they were standing and how very naked he was. She could smell the slight scent of his soap and she could feel the heat from his still shower-wet skin radiating off of him.

"What did you mean?" Sark questioned with a hopefully raised eyebrow

She felt an urge to reach out to him and to touch him again, but she held back. "I'm never going to forget what happened…but I have to ask…"

"Yes?" He prodded.

"Was that it?"

"Excuse me?" He wasn't quite sure what she was asking.

"The kiss. Was that it? Was it just a onetime thing, heat of the moment…" she paused.

"Only if you want it to be." He offered her a slight smile. "You know I'm more than willing to continue…" He took a step closer to her and took hold of her hand, placing it low on his waist at the edge of his towel.

She smiled, fingering the fabric, for a moment toying with her desire. "I'm not ready for that yet, Sark."

"You said yet…" He grinned wider.

"That's true." She agreed. "But I think I just got my answer."

He nodded. "I am hoping that the kiss was only the beginning of a very happy relationship."

She shrugged. "Maybe it will turn out that way." Sydney stepped away, backing towards the door. "We'll just have to wait and see."

He reached out and grabbed her hand, gently tugging her back to himself. "And how long do you expect to be waiting until we see?"

"I don't know?" She smiled, feeling a warm tingle spread through her arm as he held her hand. "Do you know how to be patient?"

He shrugged. "I believe you'll find that I'm an expert at anything I attempt. However, when it comes to something I really want…" He placed his hands on her hips and pulled her close. "Like you, for example…"

"You find patience a bit of an inconvenience?" Sydney filled in for him.

He nodded. "But I will do my best."

"Good boy." She teased. She started to pull away form him, but he squeezed her hand tightly. "Sark, this isn't a very good start with that whole patience thing."

He smiled and released her hand. "You should go and pack or whatever you need to do for tomorrow, and I should finish dressing."

She nodded. "Sounds good. I'll see you later."


	24. A New Assignment

"There is almost nothing magnificent about this place anymore." Sydney sighed as their car pulled up out front of her apartment complex. "Not after a week at your castle."

Sark grinned. "But you're only moments away from the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps!"

She rolled her eyes. "You had your own runway for your personal jet. Not to mention three of your own fountains on the grounds."

"Very true."

The driver came around to help Sydney out of the car. "Thank you Andre." She smiled at Sark's Italian chauffer.

Sark came to her side and motioned towards the front door. "Andre will bring the bags up."

"Perfect." Sydney smiled and walked with Sark into the lobby.

"Welcome home Miss Thorne." Bernard, the doorman, greeted her cordially.

"Thank you. It is good to be back." She smiled and responded with her perfect Julia voice and attitude. "Sark, do you plan on staying for dinner?" She asked as they headed for the elevator.

He shrugged. "It was a long flight, I assumed you would be tired."

She nodded. "I am. But I'm also hungry."

He smiled. "Then we could order delivery."

"Sounds delicious." She stepped into the lift and he followed closely, perhaps a little more closely than necessary. But as Sydney considered it, she realized that he'd been a lot closer to her since the previous night. He walked closer, he sat closer, he tended to lean in closer to speak to her, and something about his attitude or behavior just felt closer, almost more intimate. _I like having him close. _She realized with a smile as the doors slid shut. It was a comforting feeling.

"So, when are we expected to check in with our employers?" Sark asked professionally, letting his hand brush just barely against hers as he shifted his standing position.

Sydney once again felt her arms tingle with goose bumps in excitement at his touch, but she did her best to ignore it. "Tomorrow morning. Marti will meet us at the café down on the corner." She sighed. "Just like always."

"Then shall I have the car waiting here to pick you up at eight o'clock?" Sark asked.

She smiled at his offer but shook her head. "I can walk. It's only one block over."

He shrugged. "Of course, if you'd prefer. I just thought it'd be nice to ride together."

"Sark, we can't spend every moment together." She reminded him teasingly.

"I am aware of that, thank you." Sark smirked. "I suppose I have taken these past few days for granted. I have enjoyed our time together so much, and I am so curious as to how our…relationship…will develop over time…"

They reached her floor and Sydney led the way out of the lift. "Me too, but remember that thing called 'patience' that you're supposed to be practicing?"

He hung his head in mock shame. "Yes, alright. I won't discuss the matter again until you give me permission." He lifted his eyes to her slowly. "Will that satisfy you Miss Bri…" She grasped his arm tightly and he stopped himself quickly.

"Paul!" Sydney smiled as her neighbor exited his flat and started walking towards them. "It is so good to see you!"

His boyish face broke into a wide smile and he quickened his pace until he reached her and eagerly folded her into his arms for a friendly hug. "Julia! I was beginning to wonder if you had left for good!"

Sark stood to the side, analyzing the interaction between the two with a slightly jealous pout. Sydney had told him before that Paul was simply a neighbor who knew her as nothing more than Julia Thorne, the European socialite with a mysterious history and an exciting job, which he still wasn't completely clear on, however Sark couldn't help from feeling a little sad to not be receiving her friendly hug at the moment.

_Patience. _He reminded himself firmly. _Last night was a good sign. We have something. That is certain. And we have definitely reached a point in our relationship that I had never actually believed possible. _He tried to ignore the nagging feeling in the back of his mind that her affection for him was in small-part only an addition to her Julia identity and it had nothing at all to do with who she really was as Sydney Bristow. _No, she is honest with me. I know she is. She's adapted, finally. And all she needs is a bit more time to realize her feelings, and then things will be right. _He took a deep breath, trying to convince himself of his own thoughts. _Do I truly believe that Sydney Bristow could ever love me? _He watched her carry on a short conversation with Paul, all the while smiling sweetly. _Do I believe that I may love her? _

"Sark?"

He blinked and glanced at Sydney, realizing that she had been talking to him. "Yes?"

She frowned, briefly curious about what thoughts had distracted him. "Do you remember my neighbor, Paul?"

He nodded and stepped forward with his hand extended politely. "Of course. Though our introduction occurred under rather unusual circumstances. How is your nose, by the way?"

Paul smiled, shaking Sark's hand firmly. "Much better, thank you." He glanced back and forth between Sydney and Sark. "Have the two of you been away together all this time?"

His question was forward, and Sydney knew exactly what he was implying by asking it, but she answered it carefully. "Sark and I have been away on business, together, since he is my business partner."

Paul nodded curtly. "And have you been able to enjoy yourselves at all, or has it all been hard work?"

Sark couldn't stop himself from speaking up. "I tend to feel that our work is a bit of fun at times." He shrugged. "We do manage to get in some entertainment and relaxation…"

Sydney nodded quickly then nudged Sark discreetly in the back. "I really do want to catch up, Paul, but we actually have to complete a bit more work before we're able to call it a night, so we better get started!" She started searching for her apartment key.

"Of course, I didn't mean to keep you." Paul smiled. "I'm actually running a little late for a date…"

Sydney gasped audibly. "You've got a date? I am so pleased!" She gave him another hug, which Sark thought was a little unnecessary. "Have you been seeing her long?"

Paul shook his head. "Actually no. It's our first date, and it's actually a set-up. I've never seen the woman before in my life."

"Well, I wish you the best of luck!" Sydney pecked his cheek, which Sark thought was even more unnecessary. "Enjoy yourself!"

"I'll try!" Paul waved and headed towards the lift. "If I stopped by tomorrow 'round noon, would you be available for a chat?"

Sydney shrugged. "I honestly couldn't say. You could try me, but if not, then we'll definitely make arrangements for another time."

He nodded. "Sounds good. I'll try you tomorrow."

"Bye!" Sydney unlocked her door and quickly ushered Sark into the apartment. She shut the door and glared at him sharply. "You're not aloud to speak anymore."

He stretched his eyes wide innocently. "What did I do?"

"You…" She stopped herself, glancing around the apartment and sighed. "Never mind." She replied coldly, being certain to maintain her English accent.

Sark frowned and then realized why she wouldn't speak. The Covenant had bugged her apartment before she moved in so they could be certain and always have intimate knowledge on Miss Thorne's business. It was the perfect way to make sure that Sydney Bristow was gone.

"That kid is in love with you, you know?" Sark told her, heading into the kitchen to find the telephone.

"He is not." Sydney insisted.

Sark glanced at her with a raised eyebrow and she shook her head. "He might have a little crush, but he is fully aware that nothing will ever be able to happen between us and he respects that." She returned his raised eyebrow. "Which, I imagine, is something you know nothing about."

Sark let out an overly audible gasp. "Julia Thorne, you are a heartbreaker."

She shrugged. "If the situation calls for it."

He let out a short laugh. "You are cruel."

Sydney glanced at him and noticed his genuine smile. Her mind flashed back to the previous night when they were lying beside each other in a fit of laughter on his kitchen floor. She glanced down at her own kitchen floor and pursed her lips. _I can't do this. _She had been telling herself the same thing over and over again ever since they had kissed, and she was no nearer to being convinced of it. _It is wrong in so many ways, and it would complicate things so much…_

"Julia, is everything alright?" Sark had crossed the short gap between them so that he was standing directly in front of her, trying to analyze her expression with his deep, questioning eyes.

She nodded quickly. "You know what? I think I am a bit tired after all. Perhaps we could reschedule our dinner delivery for some other time."

Sark frowned, seeming both confused and disappointed but didn't protest. "Of course, if you'd rather." He touched her arm softly and took a step closer to her but she moved away. He caught onto her emotions and obligingly backed off. "Very well, I will see you in the morning with Mr. Easton."

"Goodnight." Sydney opened the door for him and tried offering him an apologetic smile.

"Goodnight, Julia." Sark's tone was much more formal than she had heard it in a while, and she knew that she was frustrating him with her constant emotional wavering, but she couldn't help it. Too many questions surfaced in her mind every time she started surrendering to her attraction. At the moment, it was too much for her to handle and the easiest way to manage was to be alone, away from the source of her temptation. As she shut the door behind his exit, she hoped he would be able to understand eventually.

…………

"I don't understand." Sydney stated bluntly.

Marti cleared his throat and shifted slightly in his seat, clearly trying to create a believable enough lie to pass out to her. "We are very pleased with the work that the two of you have accomplished, but at this time we believe Mr. Sark would be better placed with another partner."

Sark frowned. "I have not agreed to work with another partner. Working with Miss Thorne wasn't my choice, but under the circumstances I believe we have adjusted to one another quite well. Separating us now would not be wise for your agenda."

Marti shrugged. "That's not really up to me. The Covenant wants you working with someone else. Julia will continue on her own, as she used to."

Sydney was trying to figure out why they would break up her partnership with Sark. It didn't make any sense, especially not after all the information the two of them had gathered (even though the information they gave to the Covenant was mostly fake). "Will I remain on the mission we've been assigned to?"

Marti shook his head. "Actually no. At this point the Covenant has chosen to remove you from that assignment. Mr. Sark, you and your new partner will be continuing the research."

"What about me?" Sydney asked, feeling a little annoyed at being replaced.

"The Covenant has other jobs for you." Marti assured her with an irritating smile. "However, those are between you and the Covenant." His eyes shifted to Sark.

"Are you trying to tell me something?" Sark asked smugly.

"We are through here today, Mr. Sark." Marti informed him.

Sark nodded and stood up. "Then I suppose I will wait to be contacted by my new partner."

Marti nodded. "That's the plan. I don't anticipate you and Miss Thorne will ever have a reason to work with one another again."

Sydney frowned and glanced up at Sark. She wondered if this would be the end of whatever had begun with them. She hated that it was ending so abruptly. There was so much she had wanted to say that she was afraid would never happen now. "It was nice working with you." She said simply, unable to put any of her emotions into words with Marti keeping a particularly watchful eye on them.

Sark nodded. "Yes, very nice." He held his hand out to her, turning his back to Marti so he couldn't read his lips as he mouthed to her: "Outside your flat. Seven thirty tonight." She shook his hand and smiled to let him know she'd understood. He dropped her hand and stepped away, speaking normally again. "Perhaps I'll see you around Miss Thorne. I wish you all the best."

"Good luck with your new partner." She waved to him as he walked away from the café, leaving Marti and Sydney alone to talk.

"So, what am I expected to do now?" Sydney questioned, once they were alone.

"Actually, there is a man who has recently been foiling our agenda, and we would like you to take care of him." Marti informed her.

"Then I suppose I am returning to my former profession now?" She clarified, referring to Julia's previous career in assassinations.

Marti nodded. "At least for the time being."

"Very well. Who's the target?" She sipped her hot tea slowly as Marti shuffled through his briefcase and withdrew a folder.

"This is all the information you will need. We expect it shouldn't be a problem for you. How you do it will be up to you, but I might suggest making an appointment with him so you can meet with him face to face. His security is rather tight, otherwise. He has offices in Zurich."

Sydney nodded. "That plan sounds good enough. I'll read over the file and make the arrangements I'll need." She didn't bother to open the folder. "Are we through here?"

Marti nodded. "After you have completed this assignment I will contact you the next time we require your services."

Sydney rolled her eyes. "Yes sir." She stood and put on her oversized Gucci sunglasses. "Thanks for breakfast." She smiled and strutted away, leaving him with the check.

When she had cleared the block and rounded the corner, Sydney instantly pulled her secure cell phone from her jacket pocket and dialed Kendall.

"This is Kendall." He answered briskly.

"It's me." She replied simply, knowing that he would recognize her voice immediately.

"Is something wrong?"

"They took Sark away." She hadn't meant it to sound so whiny, but her emotions were getting the better of her. She resented the Covenant for putting her with Sark and letting her get comfortably familiar with him and then ripping him away from her.

"I'm sorry?" Kendall clearly wasn't following her frustration.

"As a partner. The Covenant has decided to give Sark a new partner. They want me working on my own again."

"Oh. Have you got a new assignment?" Kendall inquired.

Sydney wasn't done complaining about Sark, but she realized Kendall wasn't the best person to speak to it about. Actually, she realized that she didn't have anyone to speak to it about. For a few weeks now, if she had a complaint, she would take it to Sark and he would patiently and kindly listen to her and then try to comfort her if it was required. She realized that she had been taking his honest friendship for granted, and now that she wouldn't be working with him daily, she realized how much she had come to rely on him, and how much she would miss his companionship.

"Sydney, are you there?"

She tried to remove the thoughts of Sark from her mind for the time being. "Yes I'm here."

"What have the Covenant reassigned you to do?" He repeated his question firmly.

"Assassination." She answered quickly. "I don't know who. My contact gave me the information but I haven't gone over it yet."

"Well, as soon as you find out, let me know, and we'll see if we need to plan another event like we did with Lazarey." Kendall told her.

"I will." Sydney turned off the street suddenly, wandering into a small park beside her apartment building. "Has Lazarey learned anything from the information I sent you?" She spotted an empty bench beneath a shady tree and took a seat so she could investigate her assignment.

"He has been going over everything, and he has been using some of our men to meet his contacts, but he hasn't found anything substantial yet." Kendall informed her.

"Alright, but you'll let me know the second he does…" She stopped suddenly.

"Sydney? What's wrong?"

"Oh my god." She murmured to herself, ignoring the phone clenched between her chin and shoulder.

"What's going on?" Kendall demanded.

She took a deep breath. "My assignment."

"What about it?"

"Kendall, they want me to kill Arvin Sloane."


	25. Understandings and Realisations

After realizing whom her intended victim was, Sydney couldn't calm down. She spent the rest of the afternoon scouring every bit of information she and Sark had gathered on Rambaldi, trying to find a connection to Sloane that would put off the Covenant. She found nothing. Of course she had assumed all along that Sloane was somehow involved in something, he always seemed to be in the middle of all the Rambaldi situations, but this time she had no idea what it could be. After seeing him with Dr. Mateski, she had assumed he was doing his own research on the same thing that the Covenant was looking into, but she had never expected him to attract the Covenant's attention to such a fatal degree.

_Why am I having such a problem with this? _She argued with herself as she paced the length of her living room. _I should be thrilled at the opportunity to kill Arvin Sloane. It's an excuse I've always wanted and now it's been handed to me! _She frowned and dropped onto the couch. She knew why she was having a problem with it. She was being ordered to kill him by a terrorist organization and she didn't know their intentions. If it had been under her circumstances it would have been an entirely different matter; but she had no control in this situation. She hated being used. In an attempt to clear her head, Sydney let herself take a nap for a couple of hours that afternoon. She didn't know what she would do yet, concerning Sloane, but she knew she needed to have a fresh mind when she decided.

At seven thirty sharp, Sydney was waiting at the corner of her street, just out of view of the front door of her apartment building. She hadn't been able to get her mind off her assignment, and it had only become more and more frustrating.

"Care for a lift?"

Sydney snapped out of her problematic contemplations and smiled into the lowered passenger side window of the black two-seater Mercedes that had pulled up to the curb.

"You're late." She told him.

He glanced at the Rolex on his wrist. "By two minutes!"

She shrugged. "In our job, two minutes could mean life or death."

"Then I suppose I'm lucky nothing happened this time." Sark winked at her and waved toward the empty passenger seat. "Are you going to get in?"

She glanced around the mostly empty streets and opened the door, quickly slipping into the car. "How's the new partner?"

He cleared his throat awkwardly. "They've put me with Alison Doren."

"Oh…" Sydney frowned and stared out the window, trying not to let Sark see her expression. "So, I guess you just picked up where you left off…"

"No!" He answered quickly and emphatically. "Sydney not at all." He had started driving, but now he pulled over and shoved the gearshift into park, turning to look at her. "You have to understand that what Alison and I had before was nothing…"

Sydney put on a smile and looked at him. "How long were you two together?"

"We were never together as you make it sound." He argued. "Arvin introduced us and instructed us to work together and so we did. Neither of us were in a relationship at the time, so one thing led to another and a relationship formed. It might seem vulgar to you but what we had was purely sexual."

Sydney tried not to be upset with his answer, but she realized that she had expected nothing less from him. _Just because we've had some fun together, a couple of weeks isn't going to change what he's been his entire life. At least he is being honest with me. _"We've all had relationships we're not proud of."

"Is that so?" Sark asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Not that you'll ever hear about any of mine." She informed him. "Anyway, have you and Alison…" She hesitated. "Have you two resumed your _relationship_?"

"No." Sark answered firmly and quickly. "Sydney, you have my word…"

"Sark, it's none of my business really. You're a grown man. You can sleep with whomever you want…"

"I don't want to sleep with Alison." He insisted. "After she and Arvin murdered your friend without discussing it with me, I intended to end my ties with Alison."

"But you didn't, did you?" Sydney pressed.

Sark shook his head "No, I did not." He shrugged. "As long as Arvin required us to work together I had no reason to make things awkward."

"Maybe this is none of my business, or maybe I just don't understand right, but since you're once again working together, wouldn't it be awkward now if you weren't sleeping together?"

Sark shook his head. "I have no intention of sleeping with Alison. For one, I have absolutely no interest in her, but even more important is that I had hope in us…"

"There is no 'us' Sark." Sydney reminded him.

"Oh, of course not…" Sark nodded and shifted the car back into drive. "What exactly are we doing tonight?"

Sydney sighed. "Now you're mad."

"No, I'm not."

"Sark, stop shutting off. Tell me what you're really thinking." She insisted.

"Alright, fine. I am thinking that I will never figure you out." He continued driving, keeping his eyes focused on the road in front of them. "I want to. I want to understand the way you think, and the way you feel, so that maybe one day I will be able to understand how you feel about me."

Sydney considered how to answer him for a moment, not sure if she was ready to be honest with him yet. He had been so honest with her, and he deserved to hear it. _But once I say it, I'll never be able to take it back…am I ready for that sort of commitment?_

"Sydney, now I'm curious. What are you thinking?" He was glancing at her sideways, and he had noticed the complicated expression on her face.

She took a deep breath and nodded to herself, mostly, to force herself to speak before she backed out. "These past couple weeks have been surprising."

"How so?" He gripped the steering wheel a little more tightly, nervous and excited to hear what she was going to say.

"Well, last night jumps to mind." She smiled slightly, reliving the kiss.

He nodded. "It was a good night."

"I'm talking about more than just the kiss though Sark. You have surprised me." She informed him. "I feel like I'm finally learning who Julian Sark is, and he is not at all what I thought." She turned to look at him and noticed him clenching his jaw as he listened to her. "You're polite, considerate, intelligent…" She noticed him smiling slightly and couldn't help adding in: "Incredibly conceited as well."

He glanced at her and shrugged. "That is something I will have to work on."

She shook her head. "I don't even mind it any more. You're sweet, and I have to admit that I have really enjoyed every moment that I've spent with you in the last few days."

"Honest?"

"You are a unique man, Mr. Sark."

"Unique?" He frowned. "Is that a good thing?"

She smiled. "Maybe."

"Miss Bristow, if I were to tell you that you are a unique woman, how would you take it?" He asked.

She smiled. "Fine, you have a point. I would take it as a criticism. So, I guess I'll rephrase. You're an interesting man…" Sark was shaking his head. "You are a complicated…" He still shook his head. She sighed. "You're a good man, Sark. You're sweet, and you're fun to be with, and overall, I think you're mostly a good man."

"So, what does that mean to you?"

Sydney sucked in her breath and looked out the window. "I wish life wasn't so complicated. I wish I could throw caution to the wind and follow my impulses, living and loving recklessly without any consideration to the consequences…"

"Love?" He repeated.

She ignored him and continued. "But you of all people should understand that life's not simple. The choices we make affect the lives of others, particularly with our careers. We have to be careful. We have to consider our actions…"

"Things don't always have to be that complicated. Once in a while, it might be good for you to take a chance. Live dangerously."

"Sark, I'm a spy. Everything about my life is dangerous."

"In work, yes, but what about in your personal life? In your relationships? Didn't you ever tire of carefully considering every move you made with Agent Vaughn? Didn't you ever regret how responsible he behaved?"

"Could we not discuss Vaughn, please…?" Sydney begged.

"Sydney, he has been married for nearly sixth months. Eventually you will have to accept it and learn to move on with your life." Sark told her. "I'm sorry if that sounds cold, but I just want to help you if at all possible."

She nodded. "I know. But there's still so much that I don't understand about everything…" She rested her head against the window. "Nothing is easy."

"No, it's not."

"The Covenant has given me an assassination."

"Oh?"

"Arvin Sloane." She told him softly.

"Really? Well, that's a bit unexpected." Sark didn't seem too concerned.

"I know I shouldn't care. I should be ecstatic!"

"Sydney, your emotions are understandable. He has been a part of your life for a long time, and despite all the pain he has caused you, I'm sure that murdering him has never actually been a consideration for you." He took one hand off the steering wheel and reached across to her, touching her arm gently. "That's not who you are." He found her hand and squeezed it softly. "I wouldn't respect you if you didn't hesitate over murder."

Tears had formed in her eyes suddenly and she couldn't make them stop. "This life is driving me crazy." She confessed quietly. "I just want it to be over. I'm so sick of being the Covenant's assassin. How the hell have I made it this far?"

Sark let his thumb slowly rub circles on the palm of her hand. "Because you are an amazingly strong woman."

She smiled and closed her fingers around his hand, holding it tightly. "Thanks."

"Sydney, I know it has been difficult, but we will finish this. We will find a way to destroy the Covenant and let you return to your life…"

"As much as I want to destroy the Covenant, I don't know what I want to return to…" She told him suddenly. "Nothing is the same anymore."

"Oh?" He glanced at her briefly. "In what way?"

"I think you know." She told him.

"I hope I do, but I need to hear it from you."

Sydney paused for almost a full minute, trying to find the courage to admit her feelings to him. He waited patiently. "You have helped me so much…I can't explain how much I appreciate your partnership…" She let out a quick breath. "Sark, I think I'm falling for you…"


	26. New Information

"Mr. Sloane, there is someone here to see you, but she doesn't have an appointment."

Sydney waited impatiently as Sloane's secretary announced her presence. She had been trying to devise a way to murder Sloane, ever since Sark had dropped her off at her apartment, nearly 42 hours ago. And here she was seconds away from seeing him and she still had no idea what she was going to do.

"Yes sir, I will send her right in."

"Thank you." Sydney nodded to the secretary and strutted past her, into Sloane's office. "Mr. Sloane, thank you for seeing me. My name is Julia Thorne." Sydney presented herself with her flawless English accent and a polite smile that made the meeting seem like a first time introduction.

Sloane gave Sydney a careful look and smiled knowingly. "It's a pleasure, Miss Thorne. To what do I owe this visit?"

She cleared her throat trying to decide on a split-second cover story. "I work for Jensen's law firm and I was asked to come and see you involving your part in…"

"Your father would be ecstatic to know that you are alive and well." Sloane told her. "He has been most concerned about you, Sydney."

"I'm sorry, but you must be confused…" She kept her face straight, determined not to reveal herself to Sloane. "My name is Julia Thorne and my father died many years ago."

Sloane gave her a slight smile. "Sydney, you should know that I have the utmost respect for you and your professional abilities, however, I have also known you for too long for you to fool me." He poured a glass of water and handed it to her. "I assure you that your secret will be well-protected by me."

She paused, trying to figure out how to respond. "Mr. Sloane, let me again say, my name is Julia Thorne, and I am here to…"

"Assassinate me." Sloane finished.

Again Sydney was silent.

"You should know by now that I am aware of everything, particularly when it involves my death." Sloane reminded her. He cleared his throat. "Whether or not you wish to confide in me, I think you should know that you're not as convincing as you believe."

"Excuse me?" She hadn't been so frustrated or confused for a while. "What the hell does that mean?"

"Sydney do you think it's a coincidence that the Covenant has instructed you to murder me? Do you think it was coincidence that they put you on assignment with Allison Doren? Or what about the time they set you up on a mission involving the kidnap of Eric Weiss?" He paused. "Or perhaps you would like to consider more recent events…Julian Sark, for instance."

"What are you getting at exactly?" She interrupted, not at all eager to discuss Sark with Arvin Sloane, of all people.

"The Covenant has never been fooled by your charade." He told her. "They know that their conditioning was unsuccessful. They used you to do their works, knowing all along that you were still working for the CIA."

"I don't believe you." She shook her head. "Why would they have let me out?"

"They clearly have a purpose." Sloane decided. "Now I believe that you should be aware that you're not as safe as you believe."

Sydney was silent as she considered what he had said. "Sloane, how do you know all this?" She realized that as much as she hated him, she knew he wouldn't lie to her without reason.

"It's my job to know, Sydney." He motioned to a chair. "Perhaps you would like to discuss this with me, now that you believe me."

She sat down shakily. "What do you want to discuss exactly?"

"You were sent here to murder me, correct?" Sloane clarified and she nodded. "Why do you think they have chosen to eliminate me now?"

Sydney shrugged. "Maybe they got to know you."

"Yes, I believe so. I believe they realized I was close to discovering something that they didn't want me to know." He sat down in a chair across from her. "They must have known that I had already learned that they were using you."

"How did you find that out Sloane? And don't say it's just your job." Sydney questioned.

"I have a contact, who is gullible enough to think I am trustworthy."

"What an idiot!" Sydney shook her head. "Who is it?"

"Allison Doren."

"Allison?" Sydney frowned. "That doesn't make any sense."

"Why not?" Sloane questioned casually. "She used to be a very reliable partner for me, and even though she has joined the Covenant, she still pays me the professional courtesy of giving me information every now and again."

"But she is fully Covenant! Sark tells me that she was working for them before you hired her. She has been playing you!" Sydney shook her head. "It doesn't make any sense. Why would she tip you off about the Covenant's activities?"

"If that's true, then you pose a very good question." He adjusted his position and leaned towards her. "Do you trust Sark though, enough to believe what he tells you?"

Sydney wasn't comfortable answering Sloane, but she was too anxious about the situation to lie to him. "Yes, I believe Sark fully."

Sloane gave her a doubtful look. "Really? I must say I never thought you would ever trust Julian Sark." He smiled. "Clearly things have changed."

Sydney cleared her throat. "Things have changed Sloane. But not between you and me."

Sloane nodded. "I would never have assumed so, Sydney." He stood and retrieved a folder from a cabinet across the room. "However, as the situation is at this time, I think you may want to have a look at these." He dropped the folder on the desk.

Sydney flipped open the folder and her mouth dropped. "Where did you get these?"

Sloane held out his hands. "Allison Doran."

"I really don't like her." Sydney shook her head and continued shuffling through the pictures. "May I use your phone?"

He nodded. "Does this mean you trust me?"

Sydney hesitated. "I don't know, but at this time I don't have many options." She took another brief glance at the pictures before dialing a number on Sloane's desk phone. She looked at Sloane, wishing he would leave, but clearly he had no intention of it.

"Hello?"

"Hi, it's me." She took a breath. "Are you alone?"

There was no answer.

She frowned and tried again. "Are you alone?"

"Yes. Whose phone are you on?"

"What?"

"The number you're calling from…" He was quiet for a minute. "I don't recognize it. Are you alone?"

Sydney smiled at his instincts. "No. I'm with Sloane. I'm using his phone because I left mine in my car."

"You're with Sloane? I thought you were suppose to be murdering him…"

"I'm not going to kill Sloane." She affirmed. Sloane smiled at her gratefully. "There's a mole."

"What do you mean?"

"The Covenant knows about me."

"But that doesn't make any sense."

"Sark, they have photos of us together."

Sloane raised his eyebrows, clearly surprised to find out whom she was speaking to.

"Photos of what, exactly? Sydney we have been in no incriminating situations together. What sort of blackmails photos could they have?" Sark questioned.

"Not blackmail, Sark." She corrected him. "Just evidence. They're pictures of us from London, meaning someone has been following us. Sloane has a source that informs him the Covenant has been playing along with us in order to use me…I don't know why yet."

"Who is his contact?"

"Allison Doran."

Sark was quiet for a minute. "Sydney, I need to see you in person. I don't like discussing this over the phone, especially not while Sloane is there hovering over your shoulder."

Sydney glanced up at Sloane before responding. "Okay. When?"

"Your place isn't secure. I have a flat here in the city. I'll pick you up at seven o'clock this evening."

"Okay." Sydney sighed.

"Sydney, be careful how much you say to Sloane. I'm not sure if he can be trusted."

Sydney smiled to herself. "I know. I will be." She hung up the phone. "I don't know what I'm going to do about all this Sloane, and I don't know where your loyalties lie, but I would appreciate your confidence as far as I'm concerned."

"Sydney, I'm sad that you even feel the need to ask. I will not betray you." Sloane offered her a gentle smile.

"I have to go now." She stood, straightening her skirt.

"I understand, but Sydney I do hope you'll be cautious of your acquaintances. There is no way for us to know who the Covenant's mole is." Sloane reminded her.

She nodded. "I don't need you to worry for me Sloane…"

"I am aware Sydney." He replied calmly. "And I am also aware that you have formed some sort of attachment to Julian Sark…"

"Sark and I have a business partnership…"

Sloane interrupted her quickly. "Yes, and you seem to have reached a certain level of trust with him, but do I need to remind you that he just might be the mole himself?"

Sydney frowned. She had been thinking the same thing since Sloane's first mention of a mole, but she had been determined to believe that it wasn't true. She shook her head, unable to deal with this in front of Sloane. "As far as I know, you could be the mole. Don't tell anybody I'm alive. Nobody." She looked at him directly in the eyes to make sure he understood her.

"You have my word." He sat at the desk and folded his hands in his lap. "It was good to see you Sydney."

She pursed her lips and resumed her English accent. "Mr. Sloane, Sydney Bristow died in a fire sixteen months ago. My name is Julia Thorne."

He nodded. "I understand entirely. Have a good day Miss Thorne."

She turned and left the office with a forced air of dignified control.


	27. Are you a lover?

_A/N: I'm so sorry! I hadn't meant to have such a gap between updates. Things have been crazy for me though. I had a funeral to attend, midterms to pass, and now I've taken up the challenge, so that will be taking quite a bit of my time! But I'm going to do my absolute best to continue updating this story this month! I have a couple of sections nearly ready to be updated, so I'll be updating once a week, I imagine, at least, for the rest of the month! Thanks for the patience! And please continue to review, to let me know that I haven't lost my amazing readers!  
_

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For the rest of the morning, Sydney flitted about the city apprehensively, unable to return to her apartment because her nerves were so highly strung. She had had a very confusing year, but today was the worst of all. He didn't have a clue what to think, how to act, or whom to trust, but she had to trust Sark. He was the only person she had been able to rely on lately and she didn't know what she would do if she lost him.

Finally, she decided to call Kendall to fill him in. She stopped at an outdoor coffee shop a few blocks from her flat and sat down with a latte before dialing.

"This is Kendall." He answered briskly after the first ring.

"It's me." Sydney replied briefly.

"Agent Bristow, you have some explaining to do. You tell me that you've been ordered to kill Arvin Sloane and I haven't heard from you since." He paused for her response but she didn't offer one. "Agent Bristow, what's going on?"

"Kendall, we can't meet at the safe house anymore."

"Why the hell not?" Kendall's voice boomed over the phone.

"There's a mole." Sydney stated simply. "We need somewhere new to meet. Somewhere we're sure that we'll be secure."

"Right, of course." He paused for a minute; his voice had calmed considerably. "I'll contact you with a new location later today."

Sydney hung up and headed back to her apartment. Now that she knew there was a mole, Sydney wanted more than ever to escape her Julia identity and return to her real life. But now that she knew the covenant had a mole, she knew it was too dangerous for her to return until she discovered the truth.

When she reached her apartment, Sydney started sorting through the information she and Sark had gathered, looking for something useful that they might have missed. She didn't give up until six thirty when she finally decided it was time to prepare for her meeting with Sark. She was dressed and ready at precisely seven.

"Good evening, Miss Thorne." The doorman, Bernard, acknowledged her as she passed through the door.

She barely had time to smile at him before she saw Sark's car pulling up and she hurriedly climbed in.

"Not late tonight, am I?" He smiled at her as she entered and closed the door.

"No, you are right on time." Sydney smiled. "But let's go now. I don't want to linger here."

"Sydney, I'm so confused." Sark told her as he started driving away. "How could they have a mole and let us go on with everything we've been doing? Further more, how could they know?"

"I'm not sure how much they know apart from the fact that their brainwashing tactics didn't work on me."

Sark nodded. "Then we've just got to play it safe until we're sure of what all they do know."

"I guess so." Sydney agreed. "Sark, I don't know how to ask it…"

Sark shook his head. "I wish you didn't have to Sydney. I wish I had your trust…"

"I know, but with Allison as your partner now…" She hesitated. "Give me a reason to trust you Sark. Give me one work, one statement that will calm me down and make me believe that you genuinely care about me…"

Sark gripped the steering wheel more tightly and let out a low sigh. "I'm so tired of this life…"

"I don't understand what that means." Sydney told him.

He glanced at her sideways. "Then let me explain. There are times when I feel so trapped by this life." He shrugged. "Sometimes I almost forget why I ever got into it."

"So, why do you stay?"

He let out a slight chuckle. "Why not? I've spent so much of my life working for where I am now…" He shook his head. "What else would I have if I gave it up now?"

She smiled. "You're not exactly old yet. You're still young. It's not too late to change directions."

"I know that. But honestly, I've been at this forever…how do I know if I'll be good at anything else?"

"You're very smart and capable. I'm sure you would succeed if you tried something new." She laughed. "You could always go to school and get a degree…"

"Absolutely not!" He exclaimed fervently. "I am done with school."

"Okay, it was just a thought." She surrendered. They were both silent for a minute, but she was unsettled by his expression. "You don't have to be trapped. You have plenty of money to live comfortably without a career. Why don't you quit?"

"Why don't you?" He retorted. "I know you're just as trapped as I am."

"This is my life Sark. It's who I am."

"Same here." He decided.

"No. I don't believe that. You're not a murderer." She protested.

"Really?" She had been watching him so intently while he was speaking that she hadn't realized that they had reached his apartment. He parked the car outside a private entrance. "I live on the ground floor." He informed her as he climbed out of the car and hurried around to open the door for her.

"This is a beautiful area." She commented, glancing around at the unique trees and flowers lining the private walkway up to his door.

He nodded. "Yes, I rather like this place. Though I haven't had it for very long." He unlocked the front door and motioned for her to enter. "The switch for the lights is just to your right." He told her. She found them easily and flipped them on.

"Oh my…" She couldn't help smiling at the magnificence of the apartment. It was gorgeous, and so uniquely designed. Most of the walls seemed to be made purely from glass so there was hardly any closure or abstractions, except for a few strategically placed solid walls throughout.

"Do you like it?"

She nodded. "It's amazing."

"Thanks." He smiled, obviously proud that his living arrangements pleased her. "Now, back to what you were saying, about me not being a murderer." He led her through the entryway and across the spacious living room to the bar. He set out two wine glasses and located his favorite label.

She removed her jacket and draped it across one of the tall-backed, plush white leather chairs. "A while ago I thought you were. I only saw you as my enemy. I never really knew…"

"Knew what?" He questioned as he handed her a glass of wine.

"I never knew you." She told him. "You're not a vicious killer. You are an intelligent, and as I said before, very capable man, but unfortunately you have put yourself in a situation to be used by those who are evil." He led her over to a long white suede couch and she sat with him. "And those people have worked hard to ruin you, but as much as you might pretend to have conformed to their cruel natures, I know it's not true." She smiled and sipped the wine slowly. "I've seen the real you."

He wanted to respond, but her statement was so unexpected, he wasn't sure what to say, so instead of replying he just smiled.

She understood the gratitude in his smile. "I mean it Sark. You have shown me your true self. I've seen your goodness and your passion…" She silenced and gave him her own smile. "A murderer isn't capable of love."

His blue eyes brightened. "That's a good point."

She nodded "So tell me Mr. Sark. Are you a killer or a lover?"

He sat up straighter, leaning towards her slightly. "What do you think Miss Bristow?"

She grinned. "I think I know, but I want to hear it, just to be certain."

"Then let me assure you, I am a killer."

She gasped. "Sark!"

He laughed. "I'm just teasing you." He reached out to her and slid his arm around her waist. "I am a lover." He very slowly leaned towards her until he realized that she was leaning towards him as well. "I am so full of love…" Their lips met and their talking stopped.


	28. The First Morning After

_A/N: I told you I'd be updating more quickly this month! I hope I can keep it up! **Warning**: The next couple of chapters are unusually sappy for me, but I couldn't find any way around it. Don't worry though, I'll be brinigng more action (spy action, not sex action) into it soon! Thanks for the reviews!  
_

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She awoke at the feel of his fingers brushing the hair away from the back of her neck. His touch was gentle and comforting. She smiled to herself and stretched her neck slightly, indicating to him that she was awake.

"Good morning." He whispered, softly massaging her neck with one hand.

She rolled over to face him. "Hello."

He grinned and sweetly kissed her on the tip of her nose. "How did you sleep?"

"Amazing actually." She smiled and moved slightly closer to him. "What about you?"

"I didn't sleep much, actually." He stroked her hair, pushing it out of her face. "I was having too many thoughts."

"Oh? Good thoughts I hope."

Sark nodded affirmatively and adjusted his position so that his arm was draped across her side. "Perfectly incredible thoughts." He rested his cheek against her forehead. "Perfect, happy, peaceful…"

She giggled as he started nestling his nose into her hairline. "I get the picture Sark." She leaned her head away from his nuzzling and he managed to catch her lips in a kiss. When they pulled apart she was frowning. "You taste like coffee."

He pulled his lips tight and didn't answer.

"Oh my god. You snuck out of bed and made coffee while I was sleeping!" She poked him in the chest. "You are a sneak."

"Well, it's sort of my job to be _sneaky_." He reminded her. "Don't worry, there's breakfast ready for you whenever you feel like getting up."

She smiled coyly. "You're nice." She wiggled beneath the blankets, scooting towards him until their chests touched. "I like coffee." She puckered her lips and he kissed her deeply. "And I like you." She murmured with her lips just barely touching his.

"Well, that I am particularly glad to hear." He held his arms around her tightly. "Last night was unbelievable Sydney."

She smiled, closed her eyes and rested her head against his chest. "Yea, it was." She let out a sigh.

"Is something wrong?" He asked quickly.

"No, nothing is. Everything's perfect. But that's just it." She sighed again. "I wish we could just be like this forever. Just here, together…I feel like I'm in a different world with you…" She laughed. "Now I'm just sounding lame."

"No, you're not." He assured her. "I know exactly how you feel." He rubbed his hand soothingly along her spine. "I have been wanting this for so long that I almost gave up…" He smiled to himself. "Does this mean that I have finally gained your trust?" She rolled onto her back, staring up at the ceiling. He watched her, patiently waiting for an answer, and when she slowly started to smile he felt relieved. "You do trust me, don't you?" He grinned and kissed her cheek. "I've finally won your trust."

She turned her face to look at him. "Don't let it go to your head."

He responded by kissing her briefly. "Are you ready to get up yet?"

She shook her head. "Nope."

He grinned, but started to sit up, sliding his arm out from beneath her body. "You know, we've got a lot of work to do, if we're to figure out who the mole is."

"You just had to ruin the moment didn't you?" She sighed and sat up beside him.

"I'm sorry!" He slipped his hand into her hair at the base of her neck and pulled her to him for a kiss. "I promise to make it up to you tonight."

"Tonight, huh?" She inquired with a raised eyebrow. "What makes you think I'm going to give you any of my time tonight?"

He stood scooted over to the edge of the bed and reached for his black sateen robe. "I have faith in you, and in my seduction powers." He stood, tying the robe around himself before turning back to look at her.

Sydney had her knees tucked up tight to her chest and her arms wrapped around them comfortably. She was watching him with a slight smile. "Don't overestimate yourself, Mr. Sark."

He shrugged. "You don't think I could seduce you?"

She shook her head. "I'm not that easy to seduce…"

He cut her off by leaning down to her and letting his lips overpower hers. He kissed her for almost a full minute, and when he finally pulled away, he saw that she had unconsciously changed her position so she was kneeling and reaching up towards him. Her eyes stayed shut for a moment after he had broken the kiss and he watched her with a grin.

"What was I saying?" She questioned breathily, slowly opening her eyes.

"I haven't the faintest idea." He smirked and turned away from her, heading towards the stairs that led back down to the first floor of his apartment.

Sydney watched him leave, not at all eager to leave the comfortable bed, but also not wanting to be out of presence. She stretched and climbed out of bed leisurely. Her clothes from the previous day were discarded in an unorganized manner near the foot of the bed. She glanced them over briefly before moving to Sark's walk-in-closet. She found a pair of silky black boxers folded perfectly in a drawer and quickly stepped into them. They were baggy and loose around the waist, but after folding them twice she found them comfortable. Moving back into the bedroom, Sydney picked up the white button-up dress shirt that Sark had been wearing the day before and pulled it on, only bothering to button two of the buttons.

"Sydney, are you ever going to join me?" Sark called from downstairs.

She paused for a moment at the mirror hanging on the wall across from the bed and did her best to smooth down her hair and wipe the mascara smears away from beneath her eyes before skipping down the stairs to meet him on the terrace out back where he had breakfast set out on a two-person table beneath a rose trellis.

"This is amazing."

"You're amazing." He replied, eyeing her choice of outfit with a pleased grin. "My clothes look good on you."

She nodded. "I think I'll start a new style for myself."

"I'm not sure assassins would wear boxer shorts. It might be a bit distracting." Sark pulled the chair out for her and she slid into it.

"Good point. Then I suppose I'll just have to wear my new style around you, and keep my skirts and blazers for work."

He nodded. "Perfect." He sat across from her.

They ate in silence for a few minutes, each enjoying their private thoughts of how perfect the previous night had been. Finally, Sark broke the silence.

"So breakfast and then back to bed?" Sark proposed with a smug grin.

Sydney smiled and sipped the rich coffee. "As sublime as that sounds, I have work to do, which can't be neglected."

He nodded. "I know. Damn responsibilities." He reached his hand across the table and touched the fingers she had curled around her coffee mug. "I assume you are planning to go and meet with your CIA contact today."

She nodded. "He called me last night before you picked me up. We're meeting at noon."

"When can I see you again, then?" He rubbed her knuckles softly.

"Tonight." She smiled. "Is that too soon?"

"That may not be soon enough for me." Sark told her with a smile.

She returned the smile. "Pick me up at my apartment at five o'clock. This time I'll pack an overnight bag."

"Very good, thinking ahead." He glanced at the clock on the wall as Sydney finished breakfast. "If you're scheduled to meet at noon, you haven't got much time."

She followed his gaze to the clock and nodded. "I need to shower."

He stood and pulled her chair out for her. "Good idea, me too."

She grinned. "Sark, I'm in a hurry."

"That's not a problem." He took her hand and started leading her towards the bathroom. "We can hurry…"

She shook her head. "I'm serious. You are trying to distract me." She slipped ahead of him into the bathroom and started to close the door.

"You are cruel." He pouted, putting his foot in the door.

"No, I am focused. I have to leave in thirty minutes." She reminded him. "We will have our _fun_ time tonight."

Sark smiled. "I suppose I will have to wait until then." He pulled his foot out of the door, allowing her to shut it.

Sydney took a quick shower, taking the time alone to consider the new development in her relationship with Sark. A part of her was still in shock over the whole thing, but the other part of her was excited that it had finally happened. She was relieved and delighted, but also a little nervous and confused.

_Nobody can know_. She decided firmly as she wrapped herself in a towel. _Nobody would understand…_She shrugged. _Not like I really have anybody to tell, except for Kendall. _She sighed. _I don't even understand. A year ago I would have laughed at myself for even the thought of considering a relationship with Sark, but now…_She dried her hair with a smaller towel. _But now it just feels so right…_

"Sydney, are you finished yet?" Sark knocked on the misted glass door of the bathroom.

She laughed as she opened the door. "Seriously Sark, for a spy, you are possibly one of the most impatient people I know."

He shrugged. "Well, a beautiful woman is showering in my bathroom, how am I suppose to be patient?"

She shrugged. "Good point." She held her cheek out to him and he kissed it obediently. "Now, I've got to dress and leave."

"That's probably the worst thing I've heard in a long time." He sighed. "But I'll do my best to act maturely and wait patiently."

She nodded. "Good boy."

"In the meantime, I suppose I should make some sort of plan for us this evening." He decided with a smile. "I'm going to have a great surprise for you."

She grinned. "I can't wait." She pulled her wet hair back into a loose braid and grabbed her purse and jacket from the chair in the hallway. "Pick me up at five."

"Wait a minute, how are you getting home?" Sark asked.

She hesitated. "Umm…"

"How about you take my car…"

She shook her head. "If anyone from the Covenant saw me and recognized your car, there would be too many questions."

He sighed. "I hate having to hide." He stroked her cheek. "All I want to do is run you around the world and show you off."

"In order to stop you from becoming too sappy, I'm going to cut you off here." She told him. "I'll call a cab."

"No, give me a second to put on some pants and I'll drive you myself."

She smiled as he rushed into the bedroom. "Have I told you yet today how much I like you?"

He glanced over his shoulder. "I'll never tire of hearing it."


	29. I love you & let's leave it at that

_A/N: Thanks again for all the reviews! Over 200, yay! I'm glad to see I haven't lost my readers because of my space in updates! But I think I'm doing much better now, though a warning ahead of time, after thanksgiving break I'll have a pretty full two weeks of schoolwork and writing will probably be at the bottom of my priorities. But until then, I'll do my best to keep updating! _

_This section is mainly filler/fluff, but I liked it and it's leading up to something more. I'm excited because it's only a couple more chapters until I send her back to real time, without her memories! _

_ As always, please continue to read, enjoy, and review! Also, any suggestions or requests welcome!  
_

* * *

"I know…" Sydney sighed into the phone. "I'm sorry…"

"But I was expecting you! I had the entire night planned out!" Sark complained.

"I'm sorry, but I have to work…" She apologized uselessly.

"Can't you just tell your people that you already had plans?"

"Oh? What sort of plans? A date with you?" She rolled her eyes. "I'm sure that would go over well."

He let out a long sigh. "I miss you."

"Sark, I'm flattered." She smiled to herself. "But it's only been a few hours."

"I know. But I really wanted to see you tonight. Last night was simply so incredible, I want to spent every moment with you…"

"You're doing it again." She warned him.

"The sappy thing, you mean?"

"Yes, that's it exactly." She laughed slightly. "I'm sorry I can't see you tonight. I promise we'll reschedule for as soon as possible."

"Tomorrow?" He questioned.

"Maybe. I'll give you a call."

"Fine." He sighed again. "Have a good night."

"You too." She paused. "Don't be mad at me."

"I'm not." He assured her. "Just disappointed."

"I don't know which is worse."

"Well, I'll do my best to survive without you." He informed her. "But I will absolutely be thinking about you."

"Good to know. I'll be thinking of you too."

"Really?" He sounded both relieved and surprised.

"Of course." She grinned. "I'd much rather be with you than working tonight. You have to know that."

"Well, I had hoped it, but I'm never sure of anything with you."

"Well, let me put it simply for you then, if it were up to me I'd be with you right now."

"That's good to hear." His voice sounded almost giddy. "I'll talk to you tomorrow. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." She clicked off the phone and returned it to the deep pocket of her pea coat.

"Who was that?"

She spun around, alarmed to find that she wasn't as alone as she had thought. "Nobody." She knew the answer was ridiculous, particularly for her situation, but she couldn't think fast enough to cover.

"Nobody?" Kendall moved further into the room, his arms folded across his chest, just slightly pulling at the seams of his suit jacket. "Agent Bristow, do I need to remind you that in our profession you do not have the luxury of secrets?"

"It was a friend." She replied quickly. "Really, nothing of importance."

"A friend?" He repeated, raising his eyebrow a little. "A friend of Sydney Bristow or Julia Thorne?"

She clenched her teeth together, knowing that she had been caught. "What do you want me to say, Director Kendall? It was Julian Sark. We were partners for months, and you know that it is necessary for partners to develop a friendship."

"A friendship, certainly, between partners. But you two are not partners any more, and I'm not sure that it is wise for you to remain in a _friendship_ with him." The way Kendall exaggerated the word, Sydney had a feeling that he assumed they had become much more than just friends. She hated how well spies were trained to read into situations, particularly the private ones.

She ignored him and walked past him out of the room. "I don't have time to discuss this with you right now. I have work to do. That is why you required me to give up my night, isn't it?"

"Agent Bristow, your life revolves around finding a way to escape from the Covenant, what other plans could you have had tonight?" Kendall asked her pointedly, following her into the next room.

Instead of answering she only walked faster until she reached the door to the room where Andrian Lazarey stayed while under the guard and protection of the CIA. She knocked briefly before entering.

"Mr. Lazarey, I hear you have some good news for me." She greeted him with a smile and her flawless English accent.

He smiled up at her and motioned for her to sit on the small couch. "Yes, I believe I have made a discovery." His Russian accent was thick and Sydney found herself thinking about the differences between Sark and his father. "Do you have the time at this moment to work with me?"

"Mr. Lazarey, I am fully devoted to finding the box with you. I have all the time in the world." She sat. "Please, do tell!" She leaned forward eagerly as he spread out his research on the coffee table; she tried to tell her mind to stop drifting back to Sark.

…………

"Sydney, this is the third time in a row you have canceled on me!" Sark sighed loudly. "I am starting wonder whether or not you ever meant to make any thing out of us…"

"Sark, you don't really think that." Sydney told him. "You know me better than that?"

"Do I?"

"Sark, now you're just being stubborn. I've been staying at your place almost every night for two weeks, except for the couple of times I've had to cancel." She clenched the phone between her shoulder and ear and started braiding her hair. "I'm sorry I couldn't come last night…"

"Or the night before that…" He reminded her.

"I've been busy!" She ignored him. "Kendall has been keeping me very busy."

"What could be so important?"

"I'm sorry, but I really can't talk about this with you." She told him. "Look, I promise that I'll see you tomorrow. How about you pick me up for breakfast?"

"Why not tonight? I had dinner all planned out!"

"Sark, I don't know when I'll be done. Let's just plan on tomorrow." She decided.

"I'll wait for you tonight, even if it's late…"

"You're not going to give up are you?" She finished her makeup and took hold of the phone again. "I'll call you."

"Good enough." Sark gave in finally. "I'll wait for your call."

…………

"Has it really been a whole month?" Sydney mused as she cuddled against Sark's chest as they lay together in his bed.

He ran his fingers through her blonde hair slowly. "Time has passed quickly. Of course, once we managed to get past your putting me off every night."

"It wasn't every night." She reminded him.

He sighed. "But I have accepted your responsibilities and I recognize that I can't always be the first priority in your life."

"I think I've managed to make you a pretty big priority." She told him.

"Yes, you have. You've definitely been better lately."

"Well, work has been slower lately and I've been able to make my own schedule more or less."

"Good." His hand movement stopped and she looked up at him questioningly. "Though Sydney, I am worried about you."

She smiled carelessly. "Why?"

He secured his arms around her. "The Covenant is becoming impatient. They have been searching for Rambaldi's cube for months, first using both of us and now just me, but there has been hardly any results. Of course, this is because of all the times we intentionally sent them in the wrong direction. I'm afraid they are going to suspect something and find you unnecessary."

Sydney sighed. "You think they'll get rid of me."

"Don't put it so gently, Sydney." He corrected her. "I think they'll kill you."

She placed her hand on his bare chest calmingly. "I appreciate that you're so concerned about me."

"Of course I'm concerned!" He exclaimed. "I love you!"

She sat up instantly to look at him better. "I'm sorry, can you repeat that please?"

He sighed. "I love you."

She settled back down beside him. "That's what I thought you said."

He frowned. "Is that your only response?"

"Well, I'm sorry, what did you expect? You're nothing more than a good time for me." She tried desperately to keep a straight face, but she could feel his muscles tightening beneath her.

"Well, I appreciate your candor…" He started pulling away from her, but she latched her arms around his waist and held tightly.

"Don't be a baby!" She protested. He tried prying her off of himself but she started planting kisses across his chest and up his neck to keep him in place. "You're supposed to be good at reading people." She reminded him.

"I don't think anyone could read you, Agent Bristow." He gave up trying to free himself, slowly melting into her increasing kisses.

She smiled up at him mischievously and shifted herself so that she was straddling him. "You might be a little bit more than just a good time…"

"Oh?" He left his hands at his sides, not giving into her coyness. "In what way?"

She placed her hands on his chest and started sliding her palms up toward his shoulders. "Well, you're kind of cute." She leaned down and kissed his nose. "And you're kind of smart." She kissed his forehead. "And you're kind of handy with a gun, which is definitely convenient when I'm in trouble." She kissed his chest. "And you kind of smell good." She kissed his neck.

By this time he was grinning widely and his eyes had started to shut in lazy contentment. "Are you ever going to make a point?"

She smiled and silenced him with a long, deep kiss.

"I'm sorry, what was I saying?" Sark asked with a grin as she pulled away.

"I don't know. Something about loving me."

He nodded. "Oh that's right." He rolled over, flipping her onto her back. "I love you, and you were trying to convince me that you didn't love me…"

"Oh? Is that what I was doing?" She circled her arms around his neck and pulled him down close. "I thought I was proving quite the opposite."

They began to kiss again but were interrupted by the obnoxious beeping of the alarm clock on the table beside the bed.

"Damn." Sark sighed, dropping onto his back beside her.

She cuddled up against him, setting her hand on chest. "Just when things were getting good." She kissed his shoulder and started to sit up. He took hold of her wrist, holding her on the bed. "Responsibility is calling, Sark."

He frowned. "I have an idea. How about we ignore responsibility for today and spend every second of the day doing only exactly as we please!"

She glanced at the clock and then at Sark whose brilliant blue eyes were pleading with her shamelessly. "I should go…I have stuff to do…"

He shook his head. "Nothing that can't wait until tomorrow, I'm sure."

She considered her duties momentarily and then weighed them against the appeal of spending the entire day with Sark. She smiled and he knew she was giving in. She allowed him to pull her back beside him in bed.

"Now, what should we do today? Anything you want!"

"Anything I want?" She smiled at the thought.

"He nodded and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Absolutely." He kissed her forehead. "Except for dinner. That I already have planned. And don't even think about asking, because it's a surprise"

"Well then we should start with breakfast." She decided. "Let's make it together."

He nodded, accepting the idea, and slipped out of bed. "Pancakes or waffles?" He questioned as he pulled on a pair of sweatpants.

She slowly followed his example in getting out of bed and pulling on one of his white button-up dress shirts. "Pancakes. And bacon."

"And orange juice." He added.

"And coffee." She finished buttoning up the shirt and they moved downstairs to the kitchen.

Sark stared the bacon while Sydney started mixing the batter for the pancakes. They didn't talk much, but their eyes and smiles expressed their thoughts.

"You know, you have been staying over here basically every night for a month now." Sark stated.

"Yea, that's true." Sydney smiled. "Your point is?"

"Well, this is the first time we have prepared breakfast together." He explained. "Usually you allow me to make it for you."

She nodded. "I know. That's because you always wake up so abnormally early."

He shrugged. "I enjoy the sunrise."

"But I like this." She told him. "Working together like this, it feels good…"

"It does. It makes me feel closer to you somehow."

"Well, I've always thought cooking was a very sensual activity." She paused. "With the right person of course." She laughed. "Actually, it feels like we're married."

He looked at her suddenly. "Sydney?"

"Yea?" She continued cooking nonchalantly.

"Would you ever consider…I mean do you think you could ever consider…"

She shook her head, looking up at him seriously. "Please don't Sark. Not today. Don't spoil today."

He sighed. "So, you've never thought about it?"

"Of course I've thought about it." She answered quickly. "I think about it every time I fall asleep next to you. I think about our future and whether or not we could even have a future together…"

"And what do you come up with?"

"Nothing. I can't come up with a satisfying conclusion." She confessed. "It drives me crazy, not being able to figure out all the details, but I just to be able to enjoy what we have now for as long as we have it."

"Why then?" He asked softly. "If there's no hope for anything in our future together, why do you even bother building this up now?"

She looked at him firmly. "The same reason you do. I love you."

He nodded. "I suppose for now that will have to suffice." He smiled at her. "I _do_ love you."

"I know." She crossed the kitchen t him and kissed him quickly. "So can today just be simple, no questions, no 'what ifs'…okay?"

He returned the kiss. "Perfectly simple. Just you and me and our perfect day."


	30. I trust him

_A/N: I know, this update is insanely short! But it's chapter 30! And in retrospect, that makes this a pretty long story, so I think I'm allowed short updates every now and then! Don't worry though I will make it up by putting another one up by this weekend! Thanks for the reviews!  
_

* * *

"I don't think you understand the significance or the repercussions of your choices." Kendall lectured with a stern glare plastered over his cold face.

Sydney stood opposite him with her arms crossed over her chest. "I don't think it's any of your business."

"You don't think national security is my business?" He asked, clearly outraged.

She rolled her eyes. "You're being way over-dramatic."

"He is number three on the CIA's most wanted list, Agent Bristow!" He reminded her sharply.

"Then why don't you arrest him?" She retorted. "He's waiting for me in the car just outside."

"You brought him here? You revealed the location of our safe house?" He threw his hands up, shaking his head hopelessly. "I don't know what's happened to you, what were you thinking?"

"I trust him!" She exclaimed.

"You trust him?" Kendall let out an involuntary laugh. "That's perfect, really." He shook his head. "Do I need to remind you that we're trying to figure out the identity of a mole?"

"I'm aware."

"Have you even let yourself consider that he could be the mole?"

Sydney's jaw clenched automatically. "He's not."

"How can you be certain?"

"I just know." She told him defiantly. "He's not."

"Well, I sincerely hope for all our sake that you're right."

She nodded, but couldn't respond. As much as she trusted Sark, she couldn't help the nagging tinge of doubt pressing on the rational part of her mind. "I have to go." She headed to the door. "Tell Lazarey that I'll meet with him tomorrow morning."

"Agent Bristow, I don't know how far your trust has gone with Mr. Sark, but have you told him the truth about Lazarey?" Kendall questioned.

She sighed. "No, I have not." She left before Kendall had a chance to pose a follow-up question.

Sark was waiting for her patiently in his car out front of the house. When he saw her, he climbed out of the car and hurried around to open the passenger door for her.

"Thank you." She mumbled automatically as she neared him and prepared to enter the car.

Sark stopped her by taking hold of her arm. "Is everything alright? You look upset."

She smiled up at him. "You are very observant."

"I take note of important things, and I find your happiness significantly important." He slowly pulled on both her arms, guiding them around his own waist, beneath his suit jacket. He then wrapped his arms around her, securing her in a tight embrace. "Are you in trouble because of me?"

She sighed into the shoulder of his jacket. "Well, you do tend to bring trouble with you wherever you go."

He soothingly rubbed her back. "I'm going to take a wild guess here and assume that your handler is now aware of our relationship…"

Sydney nodded. "Good guess." She tilted her head up towards him and he obligingly gave her a kiss. "I don't really care though. Kendall isn't going to have any say in my personal life."

"Aren't you the rebel?" Sark grinned. "Feeling better?"

"Much." Sydney smiled, trying to forget the doubt that Kendall had planted in her mind. "Now what are we doing tonight?"

"That, my darling, is a surprise." Sark broke the embrace and motioned her into the car so they could begin on the date that he had been planning out for most of the day.


	31. The Whole Truth

"I never thought we'd find it." Sydney confessed to Lazarey as they trudged across the desert towards a cave built into the side of a dry, clayish mountain.

"It has been a long process, but Julia, I never gave up faith." Lazarey told her.

She nodded, though silently pondering his use of the word 'faith'. Sydney had been working with Andrian Lazarey for over six months, but he still knew her as Julia Thorne. It was easier for her to remain in character with him. All the while that she had been working with Sark and the Covenant, Lazarey had been using his own sources to find the mysterious Rambaldi cube, and now they had finally tracked it down, in the middle of the Fish River Gorge in Namibia of all places.

"Lazarey, do you know what's inside this cube that we're expecting to find here?"

Lazarey shook his head. "But I know that it is crucial to his mission. It is said to contain the essence of his being, thought the exact meaning is unclear."

She nodded. "I suppose we ill have to wait and see."

Their conversation ceased as they entered the dark opening of the cave. They made their way through a labyrinth within the cave for nearly a mile before finding anything significant, but what they found made everything worth it. Their nine months of searching finally paid off.

"This is it." Lazarey clarified, eyeing the elaborate vault that was fixed into the wall of the cave. He opened his backpack and pulled out a small box; it held twelve keys, which Lazarey had been collecting for over thirty years of his life. "One of each of these keys will correspond with one of these twelve locks." He pointed to twelve small openings set up in an arch around what seemed to be the center of the vault.

Sydney analyzed Rambaldi's creation with a mix of awe and doubt. _As much as Rambaldi's prophecies confuse me, I can't deny that he was a genius. _She accepted six of the small keys from Lazarey and began inserting them into the appropriate places, according to Lazarey's instructions. "Only one more." She announced.

"This one won't stay open. I need to hold the key in place." Lazarey told her, holding his final key tightly in order to keep the lock open.

She nodded and inserted her final key into its lock. The moment she twisted it in place, small doors began snapping shut over each of the keyholes, slamming down hard. She gasped, her eyes stretching wide as she foresaw what was about to happen where Lazarey was holding his key in place. A moment later the metal door snapped shut on his wrist. His hand was trapped and she could tell by the force that she'd never be able to pry the trap door back open. Suddenly the walls of the cave began to rumble and quiver. Lose rocks showered down around them.

"Julia…" Lazarey grimaced from the pain in his hand.

Sydney thought quickly and pulled a small rapier from her belt. She placed a thick stick between his teeth. "Here, bite down on this." He squeezed his eyes shut but nodded. She raised the large knife above his wrist and brought it down quickly and forcefully, trying to make it as painless as possible, but even so he screamed around the wood in his mouth. The stump of his hand was bleeding profusely and she quickly removed the bandana from around her wrist and wrapped it over his wound. The cave was beginning to collapse rapidly. "Come on, you've got to run. Let's go!" She pushed him forward, and darted back to the vault to grab the cube from its hidden chamber before running after Lazarey back through he maze. They just managed to escape from the cave, collapsing into the hot sand as the opening disappeared behind a wall of falling rock.

Lazarey held his bleeding arm to his chest and breathed heavily. "We did it."

She nodded, almost laughing at the dangerous absurdity of the situation. "We did it." She let him take only a moment to rest before pulling him to his feet. "We have to get you back to the jeep. I've got a transmitter in the jeep, we can call for medical help."

He nodded and leaned on her as they hobbled together back to the car, parked nearly two miles away.

…………

"I need to tell you something." Sydney caught Sark's attention as he was setting the table in the kitchen of his apartment.

"Yes?" He paused and turned to her, giving her his full attention. "Is something wrong, sweetheart?"

She shook her head and tried to smile. "I just need to tell you something important, something that I should have told you a long time ago."

He frowned. "You have me a little worried now, Sydney."

She cleared her throat and avoided his eye contact. "I don't know how you're going to respond."

He reached out to her ad took both her hands in his. "Nothing you say will upset me."

She slipped her hands free from his and retrieved her bag from the other room. "The reason why I have been so busy lately is because Kendall has had me on an assignment."

"An assignment? I thought his only concern was for the covenant."

"It is." She clarified. "My assignment has never changed. When the covenant took me off the search for Rambaldi's cube, Kendall put me on it separately."

"Oh?" Sark shrugged. "That isn't too shocking really."

She shook her head. "That isn't the secret." She reached into her bag and pulled out a small box, clearly well padded. He waited as she opened the box and pulled out a smaller, ancient looking box.

"Is that what I think it is?" Sark tentatively reached out to the box, but pulled back without touching it. "How did you find it?"

She hesitated. "That's the secret I have to tell you."

"Alright?" He waited for her to continue.

"I wasn't working alone."

"Of course not. You're working with the CIA."

"That's not exactly what I meant. I had a partner." She pulled her lips tight. "He's the reason that I found the box."

"He?" Sark questioned.

She nodded. "He and I have been working together, for quite a while…"

"How long?"

"Over nine months."

He frowned. "I sort of whish you had told me, I mean not that I'm upset or jealous…but you could have told me."

"It's not like that Sark" She sighed. "You've told me before that I'm not a murderer…"

"I know, love, and you're not at all, and never could be."

"Exactly, so you have to realize that I would never kill anyone without purpose…" She took a deep breath before spitting it out. "I never murdered your father."

Sark didn't answer.

"Andrian Lazarey is still alive. I posed his death for the covenant and he and I have been working together for the CIA ever since." She placed the box on the table and waited for his response.

"I don't know what to say." He folded his arms over his chest and leaned back against the counter. "You have been working with my father for months and al this time I have been thinking that he is dead."

"I shouldn't have lied to you." She told him. "I am so sorry and I hope you can understand and forgive me." She noticed his jaw clenching and sighed. "If you need some time to process this, that's fine…" she returned the cube to her bag. "I think I should maybe go home." She slipped the bag over her shoulder and headed for the door. "If you want to, please call me tomorrow."

"Sydney wait," He grasped her hand and held it tightly. "I _can_ understand why you didn't tell me. I could never hold it against you."

"Really?" She smiled hopefully.

"Of course!" he pulled her into his arms for a hug and she let the bag slip to the floor. "I will never judge you for your obligations to the CIA."

She kissed his neck. "You are too good to me."

"I'm only as good to you as you deserve." He rested his lips against her forehead. "I feel like I should ask you something about my father. I mean is he doing well? I haven't spoken to him in years…"

She shrugged. "He seems well. He and I work well together."

"Alright, for the sake of not making me incredibly uncomfortable and strangely jealous, let's change the topic."

Sydney laughed. "Jealous of me working with your father? Yea, that is a little strange." She slid her hands up his chest and touched two fingers to his lips. "But I assure you, he isn't half the kisser you are."

Sark pulled his head back and frowned. "That's not exactly amusing." He raised an eyebrow. "You weren't being serious, were you?"

"Yes, completely. You are a much better kisser." She grinned and kissed him for emphasis.

"Sydney, please, there is only so much a man's ego can take!" He protested as she started kissing him again.

"Sark, please, you have to know me better than that by now."

He grinned. "Well, there's always room to know someone better."

She gave him a kiss. "I think you already know me pretty well."

He slipped one arm around her waist and then bent forward and slipped his other arm beneath her legs, easily lifting her up in his arms. He started up the stairs toward the bedroom.

"Sark, what about dinner?" Sydney laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck and nibbling his ear.

"As if I could think of food when you're doing that!" He stumbled at the door of the bedroom and she held his neck tighter. "Sorry!" He caught his balance and hurried over to the bed, depositing her on it.

"You're a distraction to my work. No wonder Kendall's been trying to get me to break up with you."

He knelt above her on the bed, pausing for a minute. "Kendall wants you to break up with me?"

"Of course he does. He keeps reminding me that you're like number three or something on the CIA's watch list." She shrugged and started unbuttoning Sark's shirt. "If the CIA knew what I was doing right now, I'm sure I'd be at least number three as well!" She started kissing his neck as he lowered himself down to her.

"Sydney, do you…"

"Stop talking." Sydney ordered, fixing her mouth over his. She finished pulling off his shirt and pulled him down on top of herself completely. "There will be plenty of time for talking later." She once again locked her lips onto his.


	32. Time to Talk

Sorry I've taken so long to update! First I had finals, and then the holidays came and they can be almost as hectic as finals! But I've gotten a few chapters together now, so there should be more frequent updates for the next month. I have a break from school so I expect to be writing quite a bit! Thank you for all the reviews! I hope ya'll are still enjoying reading this story as much as I'm still enjoying writing it.

"See, now we have time to talk." Sydney yawned and pulled the silk sheets up beneath her chin.

"Sure, now when you are too tired to keep your eyes open." He lay on his side and touched a fingertip to her nose.

"I'm not tired, I'm exhausted." She grinned. "You have completely worn me out…again."

"Just trying to keep up with you love." He slid his hand beneath the sheet and let it glide over her stomach. When his fingertips pressed onto the lower right side of her stomach, she flinched slightly. "I'm sorry, did I hurt you?"

She shook her head. "No, the skin's still a little sensitive."

"But the skin is healing fine, isn't it?"

She pulled down the sheets and revealed the two-inch scar on her lower stomach. It mostly itches now."

He leaned up to inspect the scar. "I hate those bastards for doing this to you."

She rested her hand over his as he gently stroked the soft scar. "I just wish I knew why they did it."

"But I thought…"

"I know what they did. I just wish I knew why." She clarified. "Why did they take my eggs?"

He sighed and lowered his head, letting his lips brush against the scar. "They didn't take them all though."

"No." She smiled. "That tickles." She ran her hand through his short messy hair.

"Sorry." He started kissing upward over her naval and up her chest and neck until he reached her lips. Instead of kissing her though, he sat up with his back to her. "Sydney, do you ever regret your choice to be with me?"

Sydney stared at his back. "Have I ever made you doubt me?"

"No, but I can't help being curious. We have been together for almost three months and we've never really discussed how you're feeling about it at all."

"Yes we have. You know that I love you." She reached out to rub his back. "That's all that matters."

"Is it though?" Sark asked.

"I don't understand." Sydney leaned up on her elbows still staring at his back. "What are you trying to get at, Sark?"

He turned his head, though he still wouldn't look at her. "What is there in our future? Are we going to be anything?"

"You mean together? Like anything as a couple?" Sydney asked knowingly.

He nodded and she noticed his shoulders droop. "If things were different…or even if they weren't, I mean, since they aren't…" He put his face in his hands and took a deep breath. "Would you ever consider marrying me, Sydney?"

She sat up and rested her cheek against his back, circling her arms around his waist. "I wish there was an easy answer I could give you." She kissed his shoulder. "I want it to be simple. I know what I want to say, but…"

"Then say it." He took her hands and pressed them to his lips. "For just right now, let's pretend everything is simple. What would you say? How would you answer me?"

A tear rolled down her cheek and he felt it melt into his back.

"Sweetheart, are you crying?" He turned around to face her.

She sniffed and nodded. "Yes. I would answer you yes."

He nodded and enclosed her in his arms. "I knew you would. I knew we felt the same about it."

She smiled and let her tears cease. "If only things were that simple." She kissed him quickly and then began to climb out of bed. "I'm sorry, but I have to go now."

"Are you serious?"

She shrugged. "I know it's bad timing, but I have my orders."

He sighed. "Yes, I know. I understand." He lay back down in bed and watched her dress in a hurry.

"I'll get away as soon as possible and be back to you, okay?" She started buttoning up her jeans. "I promise."

He grinned. "I have an idea."

"What is it?" She asked, pulling her plain, long-sleeve tee shirt over her head.

He gave her his charming mischievous smile. "Just show up after you're finished with work and be dressed for a night on the town." He winked. "But not Rome."

She grinned and hopped back onto the bed, slightly pouncing on him. "Where are you going to take me Sark?" She started poking at his chest.

He secured his hands on her waist, easily holding her in place. "Can't I have any secrets?"

She sighed and lowered her lips to his chest, pestering his skin with kisses. "I don't like secrets." She reminded him as she continued her kissing assault.

He started laughing. "Do you have any idea how much that tickles?"

She nodded, letting her hair brush against his skin. Her kisses continued. "Tell me were we're going!"

He let her continue for a couple more moments before giving up. "You can choose. I have a loft in Paris, a villa in the Balearic Islands in Spain, a rather small condo in Zurich, and a home in London."

Her eyes sparkled with laugher. "And don't forget your castle in Scotland!"

"Yes, that as well." He smiled. "And there is still my family's home in Russia, though I haven't been there in years. It became mine after my father's fake death."

"It's ridiculous that you have so many properties. It's really unnecessary, don't you think?"

"My works keeps me moving a lot. I don't enjoy living at hotels. I'd prefer to have my own place to go to." He explained.

"I suppose that makes sense." She kissed him briefly. "Speaking of work, I've really got to leave now. The sooner I leave, the sooner I can return." She stepped into her stiletto boots and smiled at him over her shoulder. "I want to go to Paris!"

"I'll make the arrangements."

…………

"Sydney I have something important to discuss with you."

She frowned into the phone, pausing in the process of buttoning up her knee length brown suede coat. "What's wrong, Sloane?"

"This is something I really would prefer to see you in person for." He explained.

She glanced at the clock. "Umm, I could possibly make it out there tomorrow, but no sooner. I have other plans tonight."

He paused. "I believe you may not want to make this wait."

She rolled her eyes and wrapped a long scarf around her neck. "I have plans, Sloane. I will squeeze in a visit as soon as possible."

"Sydney, you really should come soon…"

"I have a prior engagement." She reiterated. "I will come by when I have the time." She hung up her phone and slipped it into her purse and hurried down to the lobby.

"Good afternoon, Miss Thorne. Off for another one of your glamorous dinner parties?" The doorman smiled at her as he opened the door.

Sydney returned the smile. "I am actually going on a date." She confessed. "I'm running a bit late actually."

"Would you like me to flag you down a cabbie?" He moved out on the sidewalk and waved for a cab.

"Thank you Bernard." She waited for the car to stop and Bernard opened the back door for her. She climbed in and he waved before returning to his post at the door.

A few minutes later the cab was pulling up out front of Sark's apartment. She handed the cabbie her money and slipped out of the car.

"So the jet is ready and waiting to take us to Paris, and my car is already at the hanger, so when we land we'll be able to head over to my apartment." He leaned down to the window of the cab she had just abandoned. "Could you take us to my hanger, please?" He opened the door for Sydney and ushered her back into the car. He joined her, quickly gave the cabbie directions, and then continued explaining their schedule to Sydney. "Or if you're hungry, we could go straight to dinner before the apartment. Are you hungry?"

She nodded. "I could eat."

"Good, because I know of a restaurant that serves the most delicious pork filet minion!"

"Sounds perfect." Sydney agreed.

"Is everything alright, sweetheart? You seem a little down." Sark observed.

She smiled and linked her arm through his. "You're very intuitive."

"So what's wrong?"

"Oh, I had a phone call from Sloane just before I came over. He wanted to see me in person, so it must have been something important."

Sark thought for a minute. "I have an idea. We will spend tonight together in Paris and tomorrow morning, you will take my jet to Zurich to see Sloane."

"Really?" She smiled. "Thanks, that'd be great."


	33. Questionable Honesty

"I hope you enjoyed yourself last night." Sloane stood when Sydney entered his office the next morning.

"I flew all the way here from Paris, Sloane, so please don't waste my time." Sydney stood with her arms crossed, waiting for him to speak.

"Sydney what I have to tell you is no easy." He motioned to the chair across from his, but she didn't sit.

"Well?"

"I have heard from my contact that Andrian Lazarey is alive."

Sydney gasped. "How could you…I mean nobody knows that…"

Sloane folded his hands. "Alison was informed by Julian Sark."

"No!" Sydney almost screamed it "It's not true."

"Sydney, I am sorry you have to find out this way. I know you have grown fond of him."

Her eyes had begun to water, either with sadness or anger, she wasn't very sure. "I don't believe it. Sark would never betray my trust."

"Perhaps you do not know him as well as you believe…"

"No, I do know him." Sydney finally sank down into the chair. "Sloane, I don't know why I'm telling you this…" She sighed. "I was in Paris last night with him."

"On business?" Sloane pried.

"No. I spent the night with him at his condo." She raised her eyebrows at him. "Sark and I have been together for over three months."

"I see." He cleared his throat. "And so because you have been dating, you believe that it is impossible for him to lie to you?"

Sydney shook her head. "It's impossible for him to lie to me, because he loves me."

"Love?" Sloane questioned.

"Don't judge me, Sloane. You of all people…" She shook her head. "You couldn't understand."

"I believe you underestimate me, Sydney. I have known you for a very long time. I have observed you under many different circumstances and in many different relationships. If you believe that Julian Sark is capable of love, then I will not question you." He paused. "Do you love him as well?"

She was a little surprised at his response. "I…yes…yes I do."

"Alright then…" Sloane wasn't sure what to say anymore. "Sydney, I am truly sorry, but you must consider the possibilities. In your job you have seen more than most the tragedies of betrayal…please don't underestimate his professional loyalties."

Sydney glared at him, but her mind was silently agreeing. "Is this all you wanted to see me for?"

"Yes. Thank you for coming."

She nodded and stood abruptly. "Goodbye." He let her leave without another word. He realized that it would take her a while to process what he had told her.

………

After leaving Sloane's office, Sydney spent close to an hour wandering around Zurich with no clear path. She wasn't ready to return to Sark yet, even though he had told her to return to Paris as soon as she could get free. He had started calling her almost forty-five minutes ago, but she hadn't answered the phone yet. She let him call three times, with ten-minute intervals. Each time she checked the ID on her cell phone and slipped the phone back into the pocket of her jacket with a sigh.

_Sark I can't handle talking to you yet. _She felt bad making him wait. She couldn't believe what Sloane had told her. It didn't make any sense…and yet a part of her couldn't deny the possibility. _I promised myself I would be cautious. _

The next time he called, Sydney answered the phone on the second ring. "Sark, I'm sorry, I just need a little more time to think." She paused. "Sark?" She waited again and heard some sort of shuffling in the background before the line went dead.

Frowning, she hung up the phone and instantly hailed a cab, giving instructions back to the hanger where Chet was waiting with the plane. She had him fly her directly back to Sark's apartment in Paris. A few hours later when the plane landed, she took a cab directly to the apartment.

"Could you please wait here for me?" Sydney requested of the cabbie. "I'll be back soon." She hurried up to his door and was only partially surprised to find the door slightly open. She pushed it open the rest of the way and stepped in slowly. She pulled her small handgun from her purse and cautiously wandered farther into the front room. "Sark?"

The apartment looked as perfectly in order as it was when she had left it early that morning. Nothing was out of place, except the phone. She frowned when she noticed the phone lying on the carpet. She frowned when she noticed the phone lying on the carpet, off of its hook. She returned it to its place and hurried into the bedroom. A brief glance through the closet showed her that everything was in its place, including a few of her dresses, which she had unpacked there for convenience the night before.

The phone rang and she debated for a moment before answering. "Hello?"

"Yes, is this the residence of Mr. Sark?" The voice asked.

"Yes it is," Sydney replied. "But he is not here at the moment, may I take a message?"

"Yes, I am calling to confirm his reservation this weekend at the something hotel."

"You mean in Australia?"

"Yes ma'am."

"May I ask how long the reservations are for?"

"He didn't give us an end time, ma'am. He asked that we keep the room open for as long as he may need it."

"Of course. I'll pass it onto him. Thank you for calling." Sydney hung up the phone feeling more confused than before. _Why would Sark be making reservations for a trip this weekend? _

She took one last glance around the bedroom and paused at the top of the dresser where she saw a small gift box tied with a silky white ribbon. She opened it quickly, feeling instinctively that it was meant for her. The box held a delicate mother-of-pearl locket strung on a thing gold chain. It was beautiful. She couldn't have chosen anything more perfect herself.

"Sark, what's going on?" She mumbled out loud. She glanced at the clock, realizing how late it was getting and finished her inspection of the bedroom. Before leaving, she fastened the locket around her neck.

"Chet, Mr. Sark wasn't home. Have you heard anything from lately?" Sydney asked the pilot as he escorted her onto the plane, which he had kept ready for her.

"No, I haven't spoken with him since he sent me off with you this morning." He closed the door and secured it before walking her to her seat. "I wouldn't worry 'bout him, Miss Julia, he's a big boy." He winked. "Besides, you've got me to keep you company."

"That's sweet Chet, but I'd rather be alone at the moment." Sydney turned to look out the window. "I need to return to Rome. Let me know when we're twenty minutes away, please."

"Of course, Miss Julia. Whatever you say." He rolled his eyes and moved into the cockpit.

Once she was alone, Sydney used the plan phone to dial Kendall. "It's me."

"Where have you been?"

She could tell he was upset. "I've been taking care of some business."

"What sort of business?"

"I'm not sure I should talk about it at the moment."

"Of course, so where are you?"

"Just leaving Paris. I'm on my way to Rome."

"Paris? Are you with Sark?" Kendall questioned firmly.

"No." Sydney answered quickly, not seeing a reason to lie. "I don't know where he is."

"But you were with him last night, weren't you?"

"Yes…" She paused. "How did you know that?"

"I just assumed."

"Well, yes, we were together last night, but not anymore." She restated to confirm his assumption, though she was slightly irritated that he was making assumptions about her relationship.

"Not anymore? Does this mean that you have chosen to end your relationship?"

"That's not what I said." Sydney corrected him quickly. "I mean that I am not physically in his presence."

"Then you still persist with this absurd relationship?"

"Kendall, do you have an assignment for me?"

"Not at this moment, though when you get in I think we should discuss some things."

Sydney tried her best not to let her frustrations out, but 'discussing' her personal life with Kendall was not high on her priority list. She was much more concerned about figuring out what happened with Sark, and who the mole was. She had become convinced that it wasn't Sark.

"I'll talk to you later Kendall, I've got some other stuff to take care of first." Sydney hung up the phone and pressed the intercom that was wired into the cockpit. "Chet, change of plans."

"Yes, Miss Julia?"

"Take me back to Zurich, please."


	34. Message

"I don't know what to do anymore." Sydney dropped into the offered chair, desperately fighting with the coming tears. "Everything is gone! I don't have anyone to trust, I'm all alone in this…"

"Sydney, you are never going to be alone." Sloane perched on the edge of the desk, watching her carefully. "I am terribly sorry about Julian, I know that you cared for him deeply."

"I did." She sniffed as the tears started falling. "A part of me still does. I can't just let him go…" She buried her face in her hands. "I just wish I knew what happened! Everything seemed to be going so well…" She wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her jacket. "But that's not what's important! This thing with the covenant…with my eggs…"

"Sydney, I wish I could say something to comfort you, but truthfully not knowing the covenant's plan is very unnerving."

Sydney glared at him. "Doesn't all this crazy stuff have to do with Rambaldi? Shouldn't you know what they are planning?"

"Sydney, my interest in Rambaldi could never lead me to endanger you." He placed his hand on her shoulder. "You are one of the most important people in my life."

"Sloane there's something wrong with Sark being the mole. It just doesn't make any sense. He had so many opportunities to burn me, but he was so good about helping me! He lied to the covenant to help me…" Sydney brushed his hand away, stood up, and started pacing the office. "Why did he wait until I told him about Lazarey? How would that have benefited the covenant? If he wanted to hurt me, he should have told them about me weeks ago! All he had to do was tell them that I wasn't changed, that I was just acting…"

"I do wish there were an easy answer for me to give you, Sydney, but I'm afraid there isn't." He paused. "Unless…"

"What?" She looked at him eagerly. "Unless what?"

"Unless he isn't the mole."

"But I thought…"

"Yes, Alison did tell me that he was, but it might be a possibility that she isn't entirely honest."

"Yea, that could definitely be a possibility." Sydney rolled her eyes. "But if it isn't Sark…then who?"

"I haven't the foggiest idea, Sydney, but I assure you that I will do everything within my reach to discover the truth."

"Thank you." Sydney fingered the necklace that hung from her neck. "I just wish I knew what happened to him. He couldn't have just disappeared? If he had to leave he would have left me a message somehow…"

"Are you sure he didn't?" Sloane questioned. "You mentioned that you searched his apartment, are you certain there was nothing that you missed?"

"No." She frowned and held the necklace out.

"What's wrong?"

"I found a jewelry box with this necklace in it on the dresser. I assumed he had planned to give it to me and so I took it."

"Do you think he meant it for something more than simply a gift?"

"Maybe…" Sydney slipped off the necklace and inspected it closely. She had been so busy worrying about Sark; she hadn't even taken the time to pry open the locket. Now she worked at the clasp quickly, carefully forcing the pearl oval open. It finally popped open. A small slip of paper fell out, dropping onto her lap.

"What is it Sydney?" Sloane leaned closer to her, trying to see what was written on the paper.

"Sloane, I'm afraid." She held the paper out to him and he read it out loud.

"Mole is CIA." He frowned and glanced up at her. "What does this mean?"

"I think it's pretty clear. Sark discovered who the mole was, and it's somebody inside the CIA!"

"But who is it?"

"I wish I knew." She shook her head. "Sloane, I have to get back."

"Back to where, Sydney?"

"Back to the CIA. I have to leave the Covenant. It's not working anymore. I'm not serving any purpose here anymore!" Her eyes started watering again. "And now with Sark gone…I don't like this life. I need to get back. I want to see my dad!"

"Sydney there is too much going on that we don't understand yet." Sloane protested. "We need to watch the Covenant, supervise their proceedings."

She shook her head. "I have to get out now."

"We need to learn what they intend to do." Sloane insisted.

Sydney's cell phone beeped. "It's them. It's my Covenant contact."

"You should meet him. Try to learn everything you can."

"I will." She stood.

"Please keep me informed Sydney. I want to help you."

She nodded without answering. "Goodbye."

…………

"Lazarey, I came as soon as I got your message." Sydney greeted the man with a smile as she climbed out of her car. Two days after Sark's disappearance, Sydney still hadn't learned anything new, but she had been acting normal around Kendall so he wouldn't suspect anything. That was when she received the secret message from Lazarey. He had insisted that she meet with him in person, without anyone else knowing about the meet, and so she drove instantly to the parking garage that he had indicated. "What's wrong?"

"Have you given the CIA the cube yet?" He asked. His voice was heavy with concern, and his eyes were dark with exhaustion. Sydney was frightened.

"No, I still have it at my apartment. So much has been going on lately, I haven't had the chance." She hesitated. She couldn't let herself say too much about the situation with Sark, because she still hadn't filled Lazarey in on her personal life.

"You mustn't give it to them!" His voice was firm.

"What?" She frowned. "Why not?"

"They are not to be trusted."

Sydney thought of the note that Sark had put in her locket. "How do you know?'

"I overheard a conversation."

"What sort of conversation?" Sydney leaned against her car, waiting to hear the worst.

"Do you know of someone named Allison?" He questioned.

Sydney gasped. "Yes…"

"Your boss, Kendall, he was discussing the need to get the cube from you and get it to a woman named Allison so she could carry out the procedure."

"What procedure?" Sydney's throat felt dry. She couldn't believe what he was telling her.

"Artificial reproduction." He stated simply. "Julia, I believe they intend to extract DNA from Rambaldi's preserved tissue and somehow implant it into your eggs."

Sydney just stared. "They want to create a baby? Like a Rambaldi clone?"

"That is the only way that it makes sense to me."

"That makes sense?" She laughed slightly. "I've never heard anything that sounded more insane!" She shook her head. "And I've heard some insane stuff before."

"Do you realize what this means, Julia?"

She nodded. "I haven't been working for the CIA this whole time. Neither of us have."

He shook his head.

"And I cannot let them take possession of that cube." She took a few minutes to process and after some silence she realized what she had to do. "Lazarey, I need to be completely honest with you."

"Haven't you been so far?"

"No." She shrugged. "I have been keeping a lot from you, because Kendall told me to. But all this time he has been using me…"

"Julia, tell me whatever you feel you need to. You can trust me."

"First of all, my name isn't Julia. It's Sydney." She dropped her English accent. "I'm American." He raised his eyebrows, but accepted what she told him without interruption. "Is there anything else you overheard?"

He nodded. "Something about transferring a prisoner to CIA headquarters."

Sydney gasped. _Sark!_ She sighed. "You should also know that for the past four months I have been dating your son."


	35. Unpredicted return

_A/N: The following few chapters will be overlapping with some things that occurred in season 3 of "Alias". Dialogue as well as actions will partly be copied directly from the show. So I disclaim now that everything that is copied belongs to JJ Abrams and the writers of the show. Though I will also be sometimes adding in my own things. Eventually I will vary from the show completely, but a few scenes I want to keep in. _

_Anyway, thanks so much for all the reviews and the encouraging comments! I am so pleased with how positive the responses are for this story. I'm doing my best to keep the updates frequent, because I believe that it's easier for the readers to remain interested if the updates aren't too far apart. However, I'll be returning to school in about a week and then my schedule will become full again and writing won't be easy. I'll do my best though! _

………….

"Agent Bristow, where the hell have you been?" Kendall shouted the moment Sydney entered the safe house.

"I seem to hear that a lot for you." Sydney did her best not to betray any sort of hate in her voice as she spoke with Kendall.

"So, what's your answer this time?" He crossed his arms and stared at her hard as she began pacing the room.

"I've been busy."

"Doing what?"

"Personal things."

"Agent Bristow, do I need to remind you that this particular assignment of yours does not give you permission for private affairs?" He paused a moment to glare at her. "Not to mention, I still don't approve of you seeing Julian Sark on a personal basis, as I've told you before."

"And as I've told you before, I don't really give a damn." Sydney turned her back to him briefly, feeling her stress get the better of her. She took a few deep breaths and composed herself before turning around again. "It'll probably make you happy to know that Sark is missing." She watched for an expression.

"It never makes me happy to learn that a dangerous terrorist is on the loose." Kendall answered coldly.

"I agree." Sydney replied.

Kendall picked something up in her expression, but he couldn't determine what it was. Something warned him that she was hiding something though, and that made him nervous.

"Are we finished here?" Sydney asked suddenly.

"No we are not finished!" Kendall exclaimed. "We haven't even begun yet!" He frowned. "Is there somewhere else you need to be, Agent Bristow?"

Sydney clenched her teeth, once again needing to calm herself before replying to his impertinent questions. "No Sir, I'm just a little tired and I was hoping to get to bed a little early tonight."

"Get to bed early?" He repeated. The tone in his voice was mocking.

"Yes." She responded firmly.

He waited for her to give him a better explanation, but she remained silent. "Fine." He finally spoke. "Where is the cube?"

Sydney hesitated. She had been doing so well at avoiding having to give it to Kendall and now that he asked for it she didn't know what to say. "It's safe."

"Good, bring it here to me, and then you can get to bed." He ordered.

"Why?"

"What do you mean?" His forehead creased. "You and Lazarey dug it up days ago. I would have expected you to bring it to me before now, but since you haven't I assume you've been to preoccupied with your personal life to remember." He paused and stepped closer to her. "I have been patient with you so far, but you have tried me. I want it now." He corrected himself quickly. "The CIA is waiting for it."

"Fine." Sydney thought quickly to create an excuse. "Well, I can't get it for you tonight."

"Is that so?"

"Yea." She nodded firmly. "I will have to wait until morning."

Kendall sighed, but seemed to be giving in. "Fine, bring it to me first thing in the morning."

"And then what?" She prodded.

"And then you'll receive your next assignment." He snapped.

"Right…any idea what that might be?" Sydney inquired.

"Agent Bristow, that is quite enough questions for tonight." Kendall opened the door, indicating that she should leave.

Sydney frowned. "Goodbye." _I can't believe that I never saw it before. He is definitely hiding something._ She disputed with herself as she made her way out to her car.

Instead of driving home for bed as she had told Kendall, Sydney drove to the safe house where Lazarey was living, under the constant watch of two agents. At the door she was stopped by one of the agents, but after flashing them her badge they let her through.

"Julia…" Lazarey greeted her with a surprised smile. "Or should I say, Sydney?"

Sydney shook her head, glancing around to make sure that the agents were not within hearing range. "I think at this time it's better to keep up the appearance, so as far as you know I am still Julia Thorne."

He nodded his agreement. "What brings you here tonight, Julia?"

She again checked the position of the agents and when she was satisfied they were far enough away, she began to explain. "Kendall is asking for the cube."

"You cannot give it to him."

"I know." She sighed. "I still can't believe that Kendall has turned against the American government. He's working for terrorists for God's sake!"

"Julia, I know it is difficult for you to accept," Lazarey made his best effort to comfort her. "You have been living a lie for more than a year…given up everything you knew to do what you thought was the government's business…"

She nodded.

"I have been misled too, but we must not give up now." He continued. "You must make a choice. What will you do with the cube?"

Sydney thought for a moment. "I'll hide it. I'll put it away somewhere until we can decide what to do with it."

"Where?"

"I don't know. Somewhere safe where nobody would ever think of looking." She was quiet as she considered all the possibilities. "A safety deposit box? Or a vault of some kind…" She paused. "Maybe at a hotel?"

"Gratz." Lazarey spoke up suddenly.

"What's in Gratz?"

"Das Hotel Verlustzeit. Guests can use their private security boxes for long periods of time. Years if necessary." Lazarey explained.

"Sounds perfect." Sydney decided. "I'll leave tonight. Lazarey, only you and I can ever know about this."

"Of course. It will never leave my lips."

She smiled. "I know I can trust you." Sydney started toward the door. "When I return from Gratz, we'll figure out the next step. Somehow we have to figure out how to expose Kendall to the CIA and bring down the Covenant."

Lazarey walked her to the door. "I will see you tomorrow."

…………

Opening her eyes slowly, Sydney felt her head pounding. It thrummed with pain. The back of her skull burned as though she'd hit it on something sharp. She raised herself up on her hands, wondering why she was on her stomach, and where she was for that matter. Neon lights flickered around her, reflecting in her aching head like a disco ball. She shut her eyes again tightly, trying to block out the irritating lights.

Finally, Sydney pushed herself up to her feet. Her legs felt shaky, but standing actually seemed to help her head. Looking around she realized that she was not in America. The neon signs above markets and shops indicated that she was in Hong Kong.

Finding a public phone, Sydney dialed the number for the CIA offices she worked for in LA. It was the only number she could think of where someone might be able to tell her what the hell she was doing in Hong Kong. Also, she had to make sure that they knew Francie was doubled…and Will!

_Oh Will, please don't be dead! _She nearly started crying as she waited for the phone to ring.

"Dispatch." A woman's voice finally answered the phone.

"This is officer 2300844, calling for connection." Sydney spoke in a hurry. "Confirmation: looking glass."

"Stand by." Was the only response from the mechanical woman before another voice came on.

"This is Kendall."

"I just woke up in Hong Kong. I don't know how long I've been here or how I got here." Sydney explained, still in a desperate rush. When there was no reply she frowned. "Hello?"

He finally spoke. "Get to our safe house at Chwing Chausse Way as quickly as possible. You remember how to get there?"

"Of course I do." Sydney snapped.

"I'll make sure they're expecting you."

Sydney wasn't ready to end the conversation, but she knew there was nothing else he would say over the phone. "Okay." She replaced the phone on the hook and stood for a minute, leaning against the phone booth, trying to calm herself. After a few moments she moved away from the phone booth and started towards the street that Kendall had mentioned for the safe house.

When she arrived she was greeted by a small Chinese man who led her down the dank hall into a room.

"Have they said…" Sydney's voice sounded hoarse and she cleared it before speaking again. "Have they said anything about how I got here? Do you know anything…"

He cut her off. "You should wait for information until your contact arrives." He unlocked a door and nodded for her to enter. She steps in and he closes the door on her, leaving her alone.

There was a dirty mirror on one wall of the room and she wandered over to inspect her appearance. Her hair was stringy and her skin smeared like she hadn't showered in a couple of days. She didn't recognize her outfit. Wanting to inspect her body for any strange wounds, Sydney lifted the edge of her shirt and raised it slowly up to her ribs. Her eyes widened when she noticed a long scar across her lower stomach. It was over two inches long. _What the hell…_

She was distracted when the door opened and Vaughn entered. She rushed to him and threw her arms around his neck. She hugged him tightly as the tears spilled from her eyes. She had never been so relieved to see anyone in her life. Just seeing his face made everything feel good again, and yet for some reason it didn't feel her heart with the same sort of happy satisfaction that she usually felt around him. Looking at him closely, she realized that his eyes were shifting. He wasn't looking at her. She tried to ignore it and get straight to business.

"They doubled Francie!" She told him, finally breaking the hug and taking a step back.

"I know." He responded softly.

"What happened to Will? To Francie? Are they dead?"

"Will's okay." Vaughn told her.

"What? How?"

"You…" Vaughn sighed. "Sit down."

She perched on the edge of the bed in the room and he pulled a chair up across from her. He focused on the floor, not sure what to say yet.

"Vaughn?" She prodded.

"We thought you were dead." He said at last. "They asked me to come back to…to explain."

"Come back from what?" Sydney questioned. "What are you talking about?"

He covered his face with his hands, rubbing his eyes stressfully. Sydney's eyes caught a reflection of gold metal on his ring finger. She froze.

"Vaughn…" Her voice sounded stiff. "Why are you wearing that ring?"

"Syd…" He took a deep breath. "Since that night…you were missing." He paused again. "You've been missing for almost two years." Her face showed her confusion, but she didn't say anything. Vaughn gave her a moment and then continued to explain the situation to her. "There was a fire in your apartment. Will survived, but you…" His voice cracked briefly and Sydney could sense his emotions. "They found remains. The DNA was a match. You were dead. You were dead." He repeated it firmly.

"And…you got married?" She was fighting against her tears.

"I did." He answered solemnly. "They asked me to come to Hong Kong…the agency. They thought it would be best if you were reintroduced by someone from your life before."

"They could have sent my father." She decided quickly. "He's CIA, he's from my life before."

"I can't answer that. I chose not to stay with the CIA after your death."

"You're not with the agency?" Sydney gasped. That news was strange for her to understand, though not nearly as strange as him being married.

"No." He almost smiled. "I'm a teacher."

Sydney stood and moved over to the desk against the wall. She had her back to him, unable to look at him momentarily. Something didn't feel right in her mind. She refused to believe what he was telling her. Vaughn lived for his work in the agency, and she knew that he loved her unconditionally. None of this made sense. It couldn't be true.

"This is, umm, going to take me a while." She said quietly.

"They want me to bring you back." He told her. "I mean, you can imagine the kind of investigation that's being called." He stood and moved to her.

"Hell of a way to wake up." She smirked. Her mind was speeding with possibilities. She had concluded that he was not Vaughn. The only thing that made sense in her mind was that Vaughn had been doubled, like Francie, and this was a trap. "How much time do I have before I have to go?"

Vaughn looked down at his watch and she took the opportunity for action. "They said they want you back…"

Not giving him a chance to finish, Sydney grabbed a lamp from the desk and hit Vaughn hard on the side of his head. He doubled over in pain and she wrapped the cord around his neck, pulling tightly so he struggled to breathe.

"I don't know who the hell you are, but you are not Vaughn, you son of a bitch! Tell me who the hell you're working for." She screamed at him. "Is it Sloane?" She shoved him against the wall, still holding the cord around his neck. "Tell me you're working for Sloane!" She demanded.

There were noises coming from the door and Sydney knew she wasn't going to be alone much longer. She elbowed Vaughn fiercely in the head and he slacked to the ground. The door opened and a guard rushed in. She kicked a chair towards him, knocking the guard to his knees. She leapt up and kicked the door so that it smacked against him. Glancing over her shoulder, Sydney noticed Vaughn making his way to his feet. She kicked him hard in the stomach and he soared across the room. She took the moment to flee from the room, running down the hallway and out of the safe house into the back alleyway.

Unfortunately she found herself without an escape. In the alley she was stuck between two guards, both with guns aimed at her and ready to use if necessary. Thinking quickly Sydney knelt, making a show of surrendering, though when one of the guards neared her and reached to take her wrists, she grabbed hold of him, flinging him towards the other guard. Utilizing whatever she could find in the alley for weapons, Sydney ferociously attacked both guards. She felt as though she were actually winning, but then suddenly she felt something sharp sting her shoulder. Glancing down she saw the end of a dart sticking out of her arm. Looking up she noticed Vaughn behind her with a dart gun pointing at her.

As she dropped to her knees Vaughn hurried over to her, lowering the gun. She shook her head, desperately wanting to be away from the man she felt certain was an imposter. As he knelt beside her his face showed concern, but she hated him for it.

"Don't…" She cried as he reached out to her. "Don't do…" She started to collapse and he caught her quickly, before she could fall.


	36. Back to Work

A/N: And again I continue with some of the show's scenes so DISCLAIMER again! Also, if anyone has any questions regarding what I leave out or whatever, just leave it in a review and I'll respond! Thanks again for the reviews! I'm really excited about what coming up soon, and I hope everyone will enjoy where I take this story.

It had been a week since she had been returned to agent status at CIA and during that time Dixon had recommended for her to join a support group with other agents who had experienced lost time. She had tried one session, but it had done nothing for her. Sydney realized that her problem was not so much the fact that she had time missing from her life, but that everything had changed while she was gone and no one seemed to value her input anymore. She hated people tiptoeing around her, afraid to let her get her hands dirty. Before she had disappeared, she had been their number one field agent, and now she had to threaten people to even be granted field time.

When Sydney stormed into Dixon's office, she was determined to make her feelings known to him. After explaining to Dixon that the support group wouldn't work for her, Sydney continued to express her feelings. She and Dixon had been partners for years at SD-6 and then at the CIA, she felt that if anyone could understand what she felt, it would be him.

"Look, I'm not even going to pretend that it isn't hard to see Vaughn…" She told him. "Do I still have feelings for him? Of course I do! Finding out that…"

Dixon cut her off in the middle of her rant. "Sydney. This is Lauren Reed." He motioned to a blonde woman sitting in a chair across the room. "She's going to be our new liaison to the National Security Council."

Sydney glanced at her and smiled slightly, feeling humiliated that the stranger had to witness her emotional outburst. "I…I didn't mean to interrupt." She turned back to Dixon apologetically. "I didn't know you were here. I…I'm sorry."

Lauren stood and walked to Sydney. Her smile was polite and she was perfectly poised. She was very lovely. "It's okay, really." She held her hand out and Sydney shook her.

Sydney still felt embarrassed. She turned to leave, but Dixon stopped her. "Apparently you had a conversation with Bob Lindsay in the men's room of the federal building in which you made your distaste for him abundantly clear."

Lauren frowned slightly. Lindsay worked with her at NSC, and the idea of Sydney having a confrontation with him unsettled her.

"I guess I did." Sydney replied. She noticed Lauren's expression and decided that it wasn't a matter she wanted to discuss at that moment.

"Well, he got the message because he decided to return to Washington." Dixon told her. "He's assigned Agent Reed here in his place to assist our efforts against the Covenant." He explained. "She'll also be looking into the murder of Andrian Lazarey as part of a joint investigation with the Kremlin."

Sydney nodded and glanced again at Lauren. Only the night before Sydney had watched a video that her dad showed her, which revealed Sydney with blonde hair, slitting the throat of the Russian diplomat, Andrian Lazarey. She hadn't understood the significance of it at the time, other then the fact that she had murdered a seemingly innocent man. Now though, learning that NSC was going to be investigating the tape further, she realized that her actions, which she had no memory of, could be more significant that she had realized.

"If there's anything I can do to help…" She offered to Lauren politely.

Lauren smiled. "You should know, in addition to being the new NSC liaison I'm also Michael Vaughn's wife."

Instantly every worry in her mind vanished. All she could think about was what Lauren had just said. Sydney could only stare at the British blonde standing across from her. Lauren Reed. Sydney resented how beautiful she was. And the worst part was that she actually seemed nice. _Why couldn't she be mean? Or ugly? _

Dixon was staring at Sydney with a knowing expression. She knew she had to say something to acknowledge that she had actually heard Lauren. "Oh…" She was surprised that she could even find her voice. "Congratulations…"

"Thank you." Lauren smiled sweetly.

Sydney nodded at her with a forced smile and then turned to Dixon quickly. "Are we finished here?"

"Yes, we are." Dixon motioned to the door, giving Sydney permission to leave.

Sydney left quickly, wanting to put as much distance between herself and Lauren Reed as possible. In her haste to flee, however, she wasn't paying particular attention to where she was heading and she bumped into the only other person that she didn't want to see at that moment.

"Sydney…" His voice was quiet.

"Vaughn." She stared at him without expression.

"I've been meaning to find you."

"Oh?"

"Yea, I wanted to know how you've been doing…"

"I'm fine." Sydney was determined not to give him a decent conversation. "I met your wife."

Now it was Vaughn's turn to be silent. "I know this isn't easy for you Sydney, but if you give Lauren a chance, I think you would like her."

Sydney rolled her eyes.

"I know." He caught her look and sighed. "It's asking a lot of you, but just try. She is assigned to work here as our NSC liaison, and I don't know how long it will be, but beyond work she is also my wife, and since I am back here working that means she will be around you."

Sydney frowned. "You're not my handler anymore, Vaughn. We don't have to have any sort of relationship outside of the office and that means that when Lauren leaves here she and I never have to see each other again."

"True, but even so…"

"Vaughn, I've lost two years of my life, and who knows what the hell was going on during that time to me, but now that I'm back I need to focus on my work."

"I agree Sydney, and you know that I'll always be here to help you however I can." He took a step closer to her. His face looked sincere, but seeing his concern for her only made Sydney irritated.

"Concentrating on my work means that I don't want to be distracted by personal issues from my past. You've found your happiness, and it isn't with me. That isn't something that I'm going to get over quickly, but it would be nice if you could try to help me."

"What are you asking?"

"I don't want to be friends with the woman you've decided to make your life with. I don't need a damn reminder of how easily I lost you…" She felt herself tearing up with frustration and emotions. She refused to break down in front of him though. "I am a professional Vaughn. If you know anything about me, you should know that much."

He nodded. "I do know that…"

"Then let me make it clear to you that as long as Lauren and I are required to work together, I will be professional. You don't have to worry about that. But you should not expect anything more."

"Sydney, I understand…"

"No Vaughn." Sydney shook her head. Her voice was fierce. "You don't understand!" Her tears finally won victory and began spilling from her eyes. "You could never understand until someone has broken your heart so severely that you feel like nothing will ever be good in life again." She gasped, trying to control her tears. "You were the one person I thought I could count on and you ripped that away from me."

Vaughn couldn't respond. He couldn't deny anything she had said, but he wanted to say something to reassure her how much he cared about her, but he knew that nothing he said would seem true anymore. He had written her out of his life completely, never expecting her to reappear. He was in love with his wife and he didn't feel guilty about that.

When Sydney realized he had nothing to say, she wiped away her tears and instantly composed herself. "I'll see you around."

"Sydney…"

"No Vaughn." She turned from him and started walking away. "I'll see you later." She told him over her shoulder. He let her go, realizing there was nothing else to say to her.

…………

_Why does Dixon think I'm the best person to do this job? _Sydney fumed as she made her way into the section of holding cells. _I'm sure my time could be better spent doing something else._ She held her badge up for security to check her clearance and then stepped through the gate as it opened for her.

She rounded the corner bitterly; not at all willing to do what she had been instructed. Her only motive was to finish as quickly as possible and be done with it. As she approached the window of the cell, she saw him sitting on his cot with his knees bent up and his head in his hands.

Glancing up, his blue eyes grew wide and he stood slowly. "Sydney…"

She stepped up to the window and crossed her arms firmly. "Let's get one thing straight, Sark, this is not a social call. I wanted a word before you get traded." She stepped closer to the glass so she was almost up against it.

"Dear God, it can't possibly be you…" Sark stepped up close to the glass and gazed at her steadily. She looked different. Her hair was dark again. The difference was more than just her appearance though. Her expression was firm; her eyes were dark, solemn. He saw no spark of the familiar joy or fun in her that he had gotten used to during the past few months. He knew he should hate her, but seeing her again relieved her. At least he knew she was safe.

"Don't start this conversation by acting surprised that I'm alive." She glared at him.

His eye twitched slightly and he stared at her hard, analyzing her expression for any betrayal of what she was thinking or feeling. He decided to stay professional. "If you read the transcripts of my confession, you will know how cooperative I've been. I'll be glad to pay you the same courtesy if you simply tell me what you're getting at."

"I have read your transcripts. That explosion in my apartment, the fire, it was a cover up to make the CIA believe I was dead." She told him. "What I believe is that Sloane abducted me, I think you know why, but you failed to mention that in your confession."

Sark paused for a moment, trying to decipher what she was saying. It didn't make any sense to him. "If I'm to understand what you're saying, you have no idea where you've been for the last two years." Sydney didn't answer. "None?" Now she glared at him. He pondered her expression briefly, again trying to read something in her eyes. "Unbelievable." He laughed a little. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to laugh, it's just…I'm speechless." She let out an irritated sigh and tapped her fingers against her arm. "Sydney, if Sloane had intended to abduct you, I wasn't privy to it."

"What if I said I still don't believe you?" Her voice was a harsh whisper, as though daring him to lie to her.

His face showed perfect composure. "I'd say it'd make no difference. In twenty-four hours, I'll be free, and you'll remain in the dark."

They stared at each other for a few moments, neither one speaking. Sark shoved his hands in the pockets of his gray pants. _Is she telling the truth? _He wondered. _It doesn't make any sense. She's lying. I know the truth. _He clenched his lower lip between his teeth. _How did she get back here though? Did she figure out who the mole is? Or does she still think it's me? _

Sydney was staring at him just as focused as he watched her. He could tell his mind was busy, and she wished she could read his thoughts. _He knows. _She decided firmly. Realizing that he wasn't going to give her any information she gave up for the time being. "See you in Mexico." She turned to leave.

"Sydney…" He walked along the glass, following her.

She paused and turned to him. "Yes?" His eyes expressed something strange. She almost wanted to call it pain, but that didn't make sense. "Are you ready to talk?"

He hung his head. _How do I ask her everything I need to know? _"Where did you come from? I mean…" He thought for a minute and rephrased his question. "It's been two years and all of a sudden you came back. How did this happen?"

"I don't see why I should tell you that." Sydney replied coldly. "Besides, I still think you already know. And until you confess what you did to my memories, I have no reason to tell you anything."

Sark looked as though she'd slapped him. "See you in Mexico." He turned away from the glass, waiting for her to leave. When she did, he settled himself on his cot, trying to sort out what he had just seen.

_I know she's an incredible agent, and her acting skills are excellent, but I know her. _He told himself. _I know her moods, I can recognize her lies. _He thought back to the last time he had seen her. It was in Paris. Everything about that visit had been perfect, until she left. Almost as soon as she left to meet with Sloane in Zurich, CIA agents had invaded his apartment and taken him into custody. He had been shipped over to LA and had been in holding ever since. _Maybe I can't tell when she's lying. _He remembered everything about his capture, specifically the first debrief he had with Director Kendall while he was still in Paris. It was then that he had first begun to doubt Sydney's true feelings for him. He had wondered how good of an actress she really was and if she was actually capable of deceiving him so well. As far as he believed, she truly did love him, but when Kendall told him that she was the reason he had been found, Sark had never felt more discouraged.


	37. Just a Little Unwell?

I was going to wait longer to post this one, but I'm not a very patient person, and I'm getting to a point that I'm excited for, so I just wanted to get it up!

DISCLAIMER All of 'Alias' belongs to JJ Abrams, etc. Any unfamiliar names are my creation. Some of the script comes directly from the show. 

A/N: I've had some questions about the confusion on what happened to Sark to land him back in CIA custody. I am planning on explaining in detail what happened to both him, as well as how Sydney lost her memories (This is different from the show). I'm not sure how soon this explanation will come, I think it's coming to be a gradual explanation through the next few chapters! So I hope that clears some stuff up for people. I hope youre all still enjoying this story, and I hope everyone who likes it will review! Reviews are super encouraging!!! Thanks.

"Once the exchange is initiated, Sark and Agent Rotter will be released simultaneously." Sydney was explaining the steps of the retrieval operation to the rest of the team. The team nodded their understanding and began to unload from the van. She climbed out after the guys and headed over to the second van where their prisoner was waiting.

When she slid open the side door of the van, Sark was waiting, chained to his seat. She knelt in front of him and began unfastening his chains. The silence was overwhelming. Sark knew exactly what he wanted to say, but he didn't know how to say it.

"I can't imagine why the Covenant wants to make this trade." Sark stated simply. "They've had me for two years and they've nearly exhausted my resources. I don't know what more they want me for."

Sydney glanced up at him and shrugged. "You're about to find out." She reached for his hands and began to unchain them.

"My life's in danger, isn't it?" His voice was very quiet.

Sydney didn't answer. Usually she wouldn't give a damn what happened to Sark, but for some reason this time felt different. As she slipped the handcuffs over his wrists she let her hands rest over his for a moment.

He drew in a breath. Feeling the touch of her fingers exhilarated him, bringing back all the amazing memories. He couldn't handle the feelings at the moment and quickly pulled his hands away from her. She frowned, confused by her concern for him, and also by his reaction to her touch.

"Let's go." She stood and motioned for him to follow her out of the van.

They stood with the other agents in front of the two vans, staring out across the vast desert where two vehicles were approaching. Sark felt nervous as the cars neared. He knew that they were going to take him back to the Covenant, but from there he didn't know what to expect. They knew Sydney had returned to the CIA, so where did that leave him? They already had full access to his inheritance, and they knew he wasn't voluntarily on their team, so what more did they want him for?

As the cars stopped and three men emerged, one held a flare gun up into the air and sent out the signal. Sydney clicked on her transmitter. "Base ops, we've received a call signal. Should I confirm?"

Dixon replied on the other end from where he was observing at the office. "You're authorized, Mountaineer."

Sydney held up her own flare gun and shot the return signal. More people unloaded from the cars in the distance. They were pulling Rotter out of the car.

"We have a visual on Agent Rotter." Sydney spoke.

"Roger, Mountaineer." Dixon confirmed. "Release the prisoner."

Rotter was sent by his captives and he started making the long walk across the desert in between the two opposing teams. Sydney turned to Sark and removed his handcuffs. "You're up."

He nodded and began his own walk toward the waiting Covenant cars. Sydney watched him, feeling confused.

"You're quiet." Weiss stepped up beside her, noting her unusual mood.

She nodded.

"Is everything okay?" He inquired with genuine concern.

Sydney nodded again and smiled up at him slightly. "It's just going to take a while for me to get settled in." She sighed. "I'm still trying to figure out what the hell happened to me."

"I know, it's weird, but I know that you're going to be just fine." He squeezed her shoulder. "And you've got me to help you!"

"Thanks." Sydney touched his hand briefly. "Okay, here he comes." She snapped back to work mode as Agent Rotter neared them.

Weiss stepped forward to receive the disoriented agent and lead him into one of the vans. The other agents took their positions in the van. Sydney watched as Sark was met by the Covenant agents and ushered toward their cars. He glanced over his shoulder, squinting against the sun. Sydney could tell he was looking at her. It made her uncomfortable, and she quickly turned away, speaking into her transmitter as she headed to the van.

"Base ops, exchange complete. Rotter secure. Coming home."

………………

_Scenes not written: _

_Sydney learns that the man she killed on the video her dad showed her, was Sark's father. Though, I'm not following the show strictly, so this is the second time Sark has been released and this time it was not for his inheritance. The Covenant already had that. They had him released because they hoped he would be able to give them information that Sydney might have told him about the cube's hiding place. _

………………

"I hate her!"

Vaughn sighed as his wife stormed past him after leaving a briefing, in which she and Sydney had once again not gotten along well. "Just remember, she's been through a lot."

Lauren spun around and stopped, forcing Vaughn to stop as well. She stared at him hard. "I've been on eggshells for two weeks since Sydney came back, trying not to say the wrong thing, trying to imagine what it's like for her. I am _done_!"

"Lauren…" He didn't know what to say, but she didn't give him a chance to speak anyway.

"Sydney Bristow is self-righteous and arrogant!"

"She just lost two years of her life!" Vaughn defended.

Lauren didn't care to hear it. "Was she any nicer two years ago? Because she's the most condescending person I have ever met!"

"I understand why you have a problem with her." He was still trying to soothe her anger.

"No, she's the one with the problem! I'm not going to apologize because I remember the last twenty-four months, or because I'm married to the man that I love!"

"You're reacting emotionally…"

"No! I'm reacting intelligently, as I expected Sydney to." Lauren insisted. "She's been gone two years, you'd think she'd listen to someone instead of talking all over them! She's horrible."

Vaughn carefully moved closer to his wife, taking hold of her arms sweetly. "Okay stop." He let go of her when he noticed her fiery eyes. "Sydney has only been back for two weeks. Give her time. I mean, the way things are, no one would blame you if the two of you hated each other. But I actually believe that you'll end up respecting her…you might even like her."

Lauren let out a deep breath and remained silent. She gave her husband a smile and he believed he had won the argument.

"Just remember that I love you." He kissed her briefly.

"I love you too." She returned the kiss. "But that doesn't make this any easier."

"I know, sweetheart." Vaughn rubbed her back, thinking that she was getting over it, but the next instant he realized that she was just as furious as before.

"And then, she had the nerve to blame me for Sark being released!" Lauren pushed Vaughn back and held her hands up in frustration. "As though it were my choice!"

Vaughn shook his head. "She doesn't blame you. She's just upset about the whole situation, but she knows that was the NSC's decision."

"And I represent the NSC!" Lauren reminded him. "Therefore, she sees me as the reason!"

Vaughn couldn't argue with that logic. "Look, we're doing what we can to locate Sark and recapture him. Sydney will get over it eventually."

"Well, I wish she could deal with her issues on her own, without having to blame the rest of the world."

"Lauren, please." Vaughn shook his head. "Try to put yourself in her place for a moment."

She placed her hands on her lips. "I understand that she is in a very difficult position and I respect all that she has been through, but that doesn't mean I like her any more." She turned and walked away from her husband without another word.

…………………

"How was the briefing with Lauren?" Jack stopped his daughter as she left the meeting room.

Sydney stopped abruptly and rolled her eyes. "Wonderful." She started to walk again.

He caught up to her and touched her arm to stop her. "I'm not asking because I'm a fan of interoffice gossip. Tell me how it went."

She analyzed the tone of his voice and frowned. "Why?"

"Did she seem aggressive toward you?"

"Yes, as I'm sure I did to her." Sydney smirked, remembering the spat between Lauren and herself regarding Sark's release. "What is this about?"

"In here…" He pulled her out of the hall and into an alcove behind closed doors, which was a convenient place for private conversations. "Now that Lazarey's murder has been linked to the Covenant, the NSC has convened their own investigation into his death."

Sydney's eyes showed her concern. "You don't think they know?"

"That you're the murderer?" Jack clarified. "Not yet. But they've just received some footage, apparently of the crime."

"How?" Sydney was certain that when her father showed her the footage of her murdering Lazarey, he had taken care of the only recorded evidence.

"Another camera…security, from across the street. And as our current bad luck would have it, the NSC's assigned this investigation to Vaughn's wife."

"I know what you're thinking, but the longer we withhold this information from them, the more guilty I seem. The NSC and the CIA are going to learn that I killed Lazarey!" She told her dad firmly.

"And when they do, the NSC will not hesitate to subject you to every available procedure in order to capture your memory." He reminded her.

"So let them!" Sydney's voice rose. "Dad, I am losing my mind not knowing what happened to me, and if someone out there, someone has the answer…" She felt tears coming to her eyes.

"The techniques that would be employed to stimulate your memory are invasive surgical, dangerous procedures that could leave you with permanent brain damage. That is not happening to you; not as long as I'm alive." He was determined. "Sydney, we've discussed this. You need to stay focused. You have to do your job. Reintegrating into the CIA is the only way you're going to get the answers you're looking for."

"But if there was a faster way…" She shrugged. "Anything to help! You don't know what it's like to have these feelings that you can't understand…" She was thinking about the interaction she had with Sark before he was released. Touching his hand had given her such a strange feeling and she hadn't been able to get it out of her mind.

"Sydney, what are you talking about?" Jack inquired.

"Never mind." Sydney sighed, blocking the thoughts from her mind. "What are we going to do about this footage?"

"I've already talked with Lauren; I told her that I might be able to help the investigation. She agreed to let me see the footage. I'll do what I can to ensure this remains our secret."

"I want to watch it again, maybe there's something I missed." She stopped suddenly and bent over, pressing her hand to her head.

"Sydney, sweetheart, are you feeling alright?" Jack frowned at his daughter in concern. She clutched at her stomach. "Sydney!"

"Yea, I'm fine…" She smiled up at him reassuringly. "I just feel a little nauseas." She straightened up. "It's probably just something I ate."

Jack placed his hand on her back. "Want me to drive you home? It's been a hard day, or week actually, I'm not surprised you're worn out."

Sydney nodded, but her face turned into a grimace the next instant. "Oh god, someone should really talk to him about his drinking problem…" She covered her nose with her hand.

"What?"

"The man that just passed, I don't know his name. He's new. He reeked of beer. Couldn't you smell it?"

Jack shook his head. "I didn't smell anything."

"But it was so strong!" She insisted. Sydney clutched at her stomach. "I feel nauseas again."

"Come on, you're taking the rest of the day off." Jack held her arm gently and directed her towards the door. "Dixon will understand."

"Dad," Sydney gripped his hand tightly. He didn't miss the waver in her voice.

"Yes sweetheart?"

"Do you think there's something wrong with me?" She asked him fearfully.

"Not at all. You're just a little unwell…" Jack tried to keep his voice strong as he reassured her.

"But what if it's more than that." Sydney worried. "I've been home for three weeks and I still don't have any memories of what happened over the last two years! What if something was done to me?"

"Sydney, you are jumping to conclusions." Jack reprimanded her firmly, but softly. "I know that you rarely fall ill, but you may have to accept that this is simply one of those days."

"But what if…"

"No, put it out of your mind." Jack insisted. "You are going home to sleep and when you wake up you will feel completely refreshed!"

Sydney nodded. "You're right. I've just got to rest and get over whatever this is." She took a deep breath, but she had a feeling that she wouldn't be getting over this anytime soon.


	38. Going Undercover

_A/N: Thank you so much for all the reviews! It was so much fun hearing from all of you who are enjoying this story so much, and also very encouraging – one reason I felt inspired to update again so quickly. Also, I've had a great day and just felt like posting a new chapter. This one isn't so exciting, but I think the next one will be! Just a hint, Sark returns to Sydney's life. _

_Thanks again for all the reviews, and please, I hate to beg, but keep them coming!!! _

……………

After a fitful night, Sydney leapt out of bed at six thirty, barely making it to the bathroom before getting sick. She slumped against the side of the bathtub and hugged her knees to her chest. _Why is this happening to me? _Sydney felt tears burning in her eyes but she fought the urge to surrender to her emotions. _Where the hell have I been? _She felt another wave of nausea flooding over her and miserably leaned over the toilet again.

"Sydney?" Weiss' comforting voice called out from the front door. "You weren't answering the door, so I let myself in…" He was wandering through the house now and she could hear him approaching the bathroom. She glanced at the open door and wanted to close it to prevent him from seeing her in this pitiful state, but it was too late. "Sydney! Are you okay?" He dropped to his knees beside her and quickly pulled her hair back away from her face as she continued to vomit into the toilet.

When she finished she sat back on her heels and glanced up at him with dull eyes. "I'm sorry you have to see me like this…"

Weiss shook his head. "Don't even think about it, Syd. Can I get you anything?" He stroked her back softly.

Her stomach growled with hunger and a pang of desperate craving overwhelmed her. She gave Weiss a half-smile and nodded. "I would love some grapes!"

"Grapes?" Weiss frowned. "Really?"

She nodded eagerly. "And ice cream!" Her eyes widened excitedly. "Yes! Double fudge brownie with caramel sauce and whip cream and chocolate chips…"

"Syd, don't you think it'd be better to start the day off with some breakfast?" He helped her stand and held his arm around her waist, guiding her back to the bedroom. "Why don't you lay down and I'll bring you some bacon and eggs."

Sydney's face contorted and she clamped her hand over her mouth, once again feeling sick. "No bacon…"

Weiss noted her expression and helped her lie down. "Right, no bacon! How about some pancakes?"

Sydney frowned as a horrible comprehension hit her. "Weiss…"

"Yea?"

"I think I need a favor from you."

"Okay?" He sat on the edge of her bed.

"First I need you to promise not to tell anyone." Sydney told him, making eye contact so he would see how serious she was.

"I swear not to tell a soul!" Weiss assured her.

Sydney clenched her bottom lip between her teeth before answering. "I need you to go to the drugstore for me."

"Okay, what for?"

"A pregnancy test."

………………

"Well?" Weiss waited on alert as Sydney stepped out of the bathroom after taking the test he had brought back for her.

"I don't know yet!" Sydney told him. She held up the pregnancy test stick. "It takes three minutes."

"Right." Weiss nodded. "Well, what should we do until then?"

Sydney started to pace the length of the hallway.

"Okay, pacing is good." Weiss leaned against the wall and watched her nervously twist a strand of her long hair around a finger on her right hand while she waved the stick around in her left.

"Weiss I need to get my memories back!" Sydney panicked. "I'm standing in my hallway waiting for the results of a pregnancy test and I don't have a clue who I would call the father if it turns out positive!"

Weiss shrugged. "We could run a DNA test on the baby." He stopped himself. "I mean, not that there is a baby or anything…" He realized that Sydney had locked her eyes on the test stick and the terror he saw in them told him all he needed to know.

"Weiss…" Sydney started to tremble. "I'm pregnant."

………………

"I can't do this Weiss." Sydney had been crying steadily for almost a solid hour and this was the first time she had managed to form understandable words.

"Do what exactly, Syd?" Weiss asked.

"Have a baby!" Sydney exclaimed, throwing up her hands in the air. "I don't know who the father is! I can't have an anonymous baby!"

"Well, it won't be anonymous. It'll be your baby…" Weiss tried.

Sydney was silent for a minute, but her sobs finally began to subside. "I have to get my memories back."

"I know." Weiss nodded in understanding. "Is there anything I can do?"

Sydney shrugged. "I wouldn't know where to start. I know there are some experiments I can have done to my brain, but I also know how dangerous they can be. I'm not sure I want to take that risk."

"Sydney, you're not allowed to take that risk." Weiss insisted. "Your father would agree."

"Weiss, you can't tell him!" Sydney exclaimed suddenly. "You can't say a word to my father about this."

"He would want to know."

Sydney nodded. "I know, but I can't tell him. I can't tell anyone until I know more. Do you have any idea what the CIA would want to do to me if they found out I was pregnant and I didn't know who the father was? It would bring up too many questions about the past couple of years, which obviously I couldn't answer…they'd subject me to interrogations…"

"They wouldn't…" Weiss tried to argue.

"They would." Sydney sighed. "Weiss, I've been held by the CIA before. They are already suspicious about my disappearance. If they thought I had been involved with someone who could be a danger to them…I can't risk it." Her voice caught on more incoming sobs.

"Alright, we won't tell anyone. I promise." Weiss wrapped his arm around her shoulders, trying to soothe her. "But we have to do something."

"I know." Sydney agreed.

"Tell me what you want me to do."

"For now, I just need to keep going to work and try to figure out where the hell I've been." Sydney sighed. "I really appreciate everything you've done for me Weiss. It means a lot…" Her eyes watered. "Since I've been back I feel like everyone's sort of afraid of me. They all seem to be keeping their distance…but you've been a loyal friend."

"And I'll keep on being loyal." Weiss grinned. "You can always count on me."

………………

"And we have no idea what the Covenant's endgame is?" Sydney was trying to wrap her mind around the latest intel that the CIA had found on their new nemesis organization. Their knowledge of the Covenant was ridiculously limited. Their violence was getting worse and the CIA was getting no closer to discovering who they were.

Dixon shook his head. "No. But we do know who the team is they hired for these jobs…Simon Walker…point man on the Damascus armory job in '99…and the 2002 break-in at Vector. Cold-blooded contract guy; only uses other freelancers. This time his team included Javier Perez, former Lieutenant in Cuban Special Forces; munitions expert and tactical advisor to the group. Avery Russet, acquisitions – vehicles, equipment, weapons. Finally, Laszlo Bogdan, security…deceased as of twenty minutes ago."

Sydney let out a small gasp and glanced across the table to Lauren. The two women had visited Bogdan at the hospital only an hour ago.

Dixon continued. "We know there's another heist in the works; Mr. Walker will need a replacement." He turned to Sydney.

"You want me to take Bogdan's place on their team?" She asked knowingly.

"Walker's already been picked up on Echelon. We know he's in the market." Lauren piped in.

"It's deep cover. The risks are obvious, but this is an opportunity. The Covenant will take possession of whatever the team steals. If you can place a tracking device on that, we believe it will lead us to their center of operations. Walker's in Sevilla; you'll go in as a freelance security expert." He handed Sydney a file containing all her information for the ops. "Vaughn and Weiss, you're on backup. Lauren, I want you to go see Sloane, have him use his contacts. Find out what they're after." He glanced back at Sydney. "You leave in two hours."

……………….

"Sydney, I don't think you should go." Weiss confronted her as she packed her small bag for the trip to Sevilla.

"Weiss, I appreciate your concern, but I'll be fine." Sydney smiled at him and continued to pack without hesitation.

"Syd, I know you're capable of handling a lot of. You're tough and smart and very talented, but now you're also three months pregnant."

"You don't have to keep reminding me about it." Sydney finished packing and sat down on the bed. "I can handle this mission." She smiled casually. "Now, when I start to show my pregnancy, then I'm going to have problems."

Weiss nodded. "Yea, but we'll cross that bridge when it comes, which actually shouldn't be too long from now." He sighed. "On this mission, though, I just want you to remember that you're not alone. Vaughn and I will be with you the whole time and if you feel there's something you can't handle on your own, just let us know." He checked his watch. "It's time to go. We're meeting Vaughn at the plane."

"Alright, just let me grab my jacket." Sydney moved to pick up her suitcase but Weiss quickly stopped her.

"Let me carry that for you." He grinned. "I know you can take care of yourself just fine Sydney, but don't forget that there's more than just you now." He motioned towards her stomach and she placed her hand on it automatically.

"Yes, but that's why I'm lucky to have a friend like you." Sydney smiled and followed Weiss out to the car that was waiting for them.


	39. Julia?

_A/N: Okay, again, I am overwhelmed by the incredible reviews! Thank you, thank you, thank you! This story is almost at 300 reviews! That's amazing, I'm excited to get there…hint hint! But more seriously, this might be the last update in a while, because I have regrettably returned to school and the professors don't understand that I need my free time to write. It's all about the homework again! I'll do my best, but the updates will definitely be fewer and more far between. I also need to not sacrifice my social life too much...so right now I'm on my way to Disneyland!_

_Just a note for the last chapter, I didn't mention it, as _**CrazyLikeaFox** _pointed out to me (thank you very much). Just assume that Sydney went to some sort of Dr. for a checkup, which is how she knew that she was 3 months pregnant. Though, definitely not a Dr. that would have any connection to her real life. I had meant to put this in, but I sort of forgot…oops. Oh well, now you know! _

_Also, if any of you are nervous about the pregnancy taking priority in her life, as it did in Season 5 of Alias, don't be worried. I don't want it to interfere with anything. It definitely won't be an extreme focus for my story, just a way for her to remember her past. _

_Happy February! Thanks again for all the reviews, and please do keep them coming! 300! _

………………

Sydney's alias for the job interview with Simon Walker was different than anything she'd done before. When she had been browsing through her options, Sydney had felt the need for something extreme and new. She was covering up more than just her true identity, now she was covering up the fact that she was an expectant mother. Somehow black leather seemed the right choice. The long hair extensions were fun and seemed just wild enough for her to ignore the reality of her life. When Sydney arrived at the club in Sevilla and drew the eye of most men there, she knew she had made the right choice with her attire.

Striding over to the base of the stairs that led to the private upper lobby, Sydney glanced over her shoulder to check on the location of Vaughn and Weiss. They were sitting at the bar, watching her casually.

"You can't go up. Private party." The guard stopped her at the stairs, speaking in Spanish.

Sydney smiled and replied also in Spanish. "Let me make it worth your while."

"No, the gentleman inside already have." He was resolute. "Please, walk away for your own good…" He opened his jacket slightly, showing her his gun. "Or I'll have to accompany you."

Sydney lifted an eyebrow and held up her hand in nonchalant surrender. "Fine, whatever." She started to walk away, but the guard stopped her after receiving an order over the transmitter in his ear. He grabbed her arm.

"Excuse me ma'am, Mr. Walker would like to speak to you."

Sydney smiled in subtle victory. "Gracias." She headed up the stairs slowly, apprehensive about what she was getting herself into. It wasn't the first time she'd done an undercover operation, but being pregnant changed everything. Now she had another life to worry about, other than just her own.

Entering the upstairs bar, Sydney noticed the man that the CIA had identified as Simon Walker. He put out his cigarette and started walking towards her.

"Hello." Sydney greeted him.

"Hello…" He returned the greeting, but didn't stop there. He walked closer to her and pulled her in for a long kiss.

When he finally pulled away Sydney's head was swimming. She couldn't explain it, but as shocking as the kiss was, something about it felt familiar.

"Good to see you Julia." He grinned.

That felt even more familiar. Sydney couldn't explain it. She had no actual memory of the name or the man kissing her, but it felt so familiar. Also, when she had been watching the tape of the Lazarey killing, she had been convinced he was calling her something like that. Now it confirmed her suspicions.

"Good to see you too." She answered flawlessly, not giving him a chance to suspect anything odd about her behavior. If there was one thing her job had taught her, it was how to act.

"Where in the bloody hell have you been?" Simon questioned as he led her over to the bar.

"Isn't that the question of the day?" Sydney answered simply. She didn't know what else to say. Nothing made sense to her, but she had to keep her cover. She had to become Julia; a person she didn't know.

"Oh, come on, I know you can do better than that." Simon smirked at her.

She shrugged. "A girl's got to have some secrets."

"All right, look, all right, at least tell me what's with the new look…I barely recognized you." He touched her long hair for emphasis. "Not to mention, what happened to your accent?"

Sydney expertly kept her calm. "I hope you weren't disappointed."

"No." Walker forgot his curiosity. "No, but I've missed you Julia." When she didn't answer he rephrased his statement. "Uh, you know, I've missed working with you…"

Sydney smiled. _I can work with this. _"Why do you think I came back?"

He laughed suddenly. "You're a right nutter, you are…"

"I heard about Bogdan." Sydney quickly changed the subject.

"Yea, that was too bad." He agreed. "Now, you never met Bogdan?"

Sydney sensed the statement in his question. "No…"

He confirmed that. "Yea, you'd have liked him."

She fixed her eyes on him pointedly. "I want to take his place."

"Well, as it happens, we do have a job coming up…" Simon nodded. "But Bogdan was security…"

"I know." Sydney told him.

Simon took a drink and then looked at her mockingly. "What? No future in murder?"

Sydney did her best not to react. "I am…a girl with many talents." She drawled out the sentence and stretched her back, hoping that her sex appeal would be enough to distract him from her hesitation.

"Yea…" He nodded and his eyes sparkled as though he were reminiscing.

"And I'm your man." Sydney insisted.

He looked thoughtful, but didn't answer right away and then he finally nodded. "Why not? I've missed your _partnership_." The way he drawled out the word made her realize that whatever partnership they'd had in the past, was more physical than she'd like to remember. He stood from the bar and motioned for her to stay put while he went to converse with the rest of his team.

Sydney watched the three men talking. She could tell that Simon had to do quite a bit of persuading to convince the men that she deserved to be a part of their group, but he was clearly in charge. After a few minutes he returned to Sydney, bringing the men with him.

"Meet the fellas." He acknowledged two men standing off to the side waiting to be introduced. "Avery, Javier, this is Julia."

"I can see why you wanted her along." Avery grinned and checked her out.

Javier was more about business. "There's no time for small talk."

"Oh I know." Simon agreed quickly. "Are you ready?" He asked Sydney.

She hesitated. "For what?" She looked away from him, trying to be casual.

He looked a little irritated at her curiosity. "Look, you used to say you were ready for anything…"

She looked at him and smiled slightly, nodding.

"Good." Simon slipped his arm around her waist and led the group down the stairs and through the club. As they neared the bar where Vaughn and Weiss were sitting, Sydney glanced at them very briefly. Simon's hand slid down to her ass and squeezed it suddenly. Sydney forced herself not to flinch. Instead she wrapped her arm around behind him and slid her hand into his back pocket.

As they left the club, Weiss and Vaughn hurried to follow.

"I don't like this at all." Weiss complained.

"Yea, me either. It's not safe for her to jump into this without knowing what sort of past she had with this creep."

"Especially now!" Weiss muttered without thinking.

"Why especially?" Vaughn asked.

"Oh, no reason…" He quickly tried covering his mistake. Sydney would kill him if he let Vaughn know she was pregnant. "I just meant since she hasn't been back for too long, and she has to deal with all her missing memories and everything."

"Right." Vaughn agreed casually. He hadn't really been listening much to what Weiss was saying.

……………

"I need to learn how to crack an S305 safe." Sydney mentioned to Vaughn as she studied the information that Simon had given her regarding their job. She had left Simon and his team less than an hour ago and was no in a jet, flying back to America with Vaughn and Weiss.

"Weiss is on with Marshall, approving the specs for you." He told her. He was watching her carefully.

"Thanks." She replied without looking up. When she did look up she saw his expression. He wanted to ask her about Simon, she knew he did. She had known him for too long to not know his expressions. She tried to encourage him with a smile, but it failed and she looked away. She sighed. "Okay. I know you think this op is too dangerous for me to continue…"

"Yes I do." He replied firmly. He stared at her. "But that's not what I was going to say."

She rested her chin on her hand, leaning forward nonchalantly. "So, what?"

"I've never worked with anyone who can improvise better than you can, but when Simon called you Julia…" He paused. "Your reaction…you didn't seem surprised."

"Vaughn…" Sydney didn't know what to say. She couldn't tell him about the recording of Lazarey's murder. She couldn't explain to him how right it felt to be called Julia, and how familiar Simon seemed. He wouldn't understand.

"No, tell me what's going on?" They stared at each other for a long moment of silence. Finally he spoke. "Look, I know we're not where we were, but even before then professionally, we never kept secrets from each other. I'm still on your side."

"You're right." Sydney cut him off quickly. "We're not where we were. And trust me when I tell you, I am doing you a favor by keeping you out of it."

"No, that is not going to work with me!" He exclaimed, clearly frustrated.

"It's going to have to." Sydney retorted. "I can't afford to make a distinction between professional and personal. Not in my life. I mean, this job took two years from me. Everything is personal."

Vaughn leaned away from her. His face showed his irritation. She stared at her lap, not sure what to say to make things better between him, but somehow not really caring.

"As much as I wish I could trust you, the responsibilities you have now require me not to."

"Responsibilities?" He nearly shouted at her. "What the hell does that mean? What? Lauren?"

Sydney smiled slightly and didn't answer.

"What, because she's NSC or because she's my wife?" He continued. "Or is that distinction irrelevant?"

She sighed. "I'm not punishing you." She told him genuinely. "You think I am, but I'm not."

Again they fell silent. She had nothing else to say, and he was too annoyed with her to reply. When Weiss emerged from the back of the plane he picked up on their tense mood instantly. He glanced at Vaughn and then at Sydney.

"Umm, Syd, could I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure." Sydney looked up at him.

"Alone?" He knew Vaughn wouldn't take that well, but he didn't know what else to say.

"I'll go." Vaughn stood abruptly and moved up to the pilot's cabin, closing the door to give Sydney and Weiss privacy.

"What's up?" Sydney asked, though she felt certain she knew what he wanted to discuss with her.

"I don't like this." He told her bluntly.

"Yea, nobody does." Sydney agreed. "But we don't have a choice. I'm in now and I can't back out until it's done."

"Sydney, this could be dangerous…"

"I can take care of myself."

"It could be dangerous for your baby." He finished.

She placed her hand on her stomach automatically. "I'll be careful." She felt her stomach for a moment longer and then stood and turned sideways. "Can you tell?"

Weiss frowned. "What?"

"In this outfit." She waved her hand over the outfit she was wearing. The black leather pants and the black corset top were tight and very revealing. "Do I show?"

Weiss grinned and shook his head. "No, you don't."

She sighed. "I wore the corset on purpose. I am starting to show."

Weiss sighed. "Is there anything I can do to help you?"

She smiled at him and leaned in to give him a quick hug. "Being here for me is enough."

Vaughn pushed open the door and joined them again. "We're almost home."


	40. Deja'vu

A/N: Okay, so I got more time than I thought this week...yay! So here's an update. I think it might a bit longer than usual, so that's good too. I know there's some overlap in this one and I'm trying to get away from it, but there are just some scenes in the show that are so brilliantly done, I can't take them out! Though I also added quite a bit of my own into this. And after this chapter, it's going to be all me for a while. Now I'm going to ask for a little reader-participation. I want someone else (other than Weiss) to learn about her pregnancy, and I want to know who you all would like the next person to be. One comment though, it can't be Sark. I know how he's going to find out, and it's not going to happen quite yet. But anyone else is fair game, from Sloane to Lauren to Jack or whatever! So let me know what you think and I'll take all the votes into consideration and probably use the one that has the most votes! So please, as always, review and let me know your thoughts on this chapter, and the ones to come! Thanks so much! 

After a brief night back in LA, Sydney was once again back in Spain preparing herself to meet with Simon and his crew. When she wasn't focusing on prepping for the assignment, Sydney had spent the night trying to force herself to remember Simon. It was useless. By time the plane had landed, this time near Pamplona where Simon had given her directions to his safe house, Sydney felt more frustrated than ever.

Weiss and Vaughn were still working as Sydney's backup, so the three of them loaded into a van and headed towards the location that Simon had given Sydney. They parked the van in the trees just outside of the property and Sydney fixed her makeup in the rearview mirror.

"For the record, I still think this is insane…" Vaughn told her as Weiss slid open the van door.

"I know." Sydney agreed without looking at him. She stepped out of the car, but Vaughn wasn't ready to drop it.

"Insane that you're going back to a man who knows you as a different person!"

"If this was just about finding the Covenant, I might agree with you. But Vaughn, I have to know where I was, and who Julia is! What I did…"

He didn't fight it. He understood what she was saying, but he still didn't like it any better.

"Laser mic's in place. We're good to go." Weiss informed her.

Sydney glanced at Vaughn, easily reading his expression. He hated letting her go into this. She looked at Weiss and saw another expression. His eyes were telling her to be careful. He glanced briefly downward at her stomach and smiled.

"I'll talk to you when this is over." Sydney told them both, leaving the van and heading up the driveway to the mansion. When she reached the front door she didn't even have to knock before the door opened. It was Javier.

"He's waiting for you in the bedroom." He moved away from the door and let her in.

"Thanks." Sydney glanced at him, waiting for him to show her where to go, but then she realized that he assumed she already knew. _Clearly Julia did have that sort of relationship with Simon._ She took a nervous few steps, hoping that her feet would guide her in the right direction. As she started walking toward the back of the house an image flashed through her mind. She saw herself in black lingerie walking out from the bedroom behind the living room. She blinked, quickly pushing the image from her mind, and headed toward the back of the house.

She found the bedroom easily and saw him sitting on the edge of his king size bed. He looked casual, but somehow cocky wearing black pants a white wife-beater; his feet were bare. He gazed at her seriously as she entered the room. She couldn't quite interpret the look on his face, but she tried to ignore it.

"Well, how was Milan?" He asked as she stepped into the room.

That was where she had told him that she would be overnight. "We're good." She said simply. She removed her leather jacket and dropped it on the bed beside him. "I got everything we need."

She glanced around the bedroom and then leaned back out the door, realizing that Javier had disappeared. "Just you and me?"

He patted the bed and nodded. "For now. Sit down." She did as she was told. "So, tell me Julia…and don't be coy…before when you disappeared, where the hell did you go?"

Sydney did her best to seduce away his curiosity. "Why? Did you miss me?"

He scooted back on the bed, laughing a little and removing his shirt. "I did."

She moved over to him and kissed his neck teasingly. He turned his head, capturing her lips with his and kissed her deeply before she broke away. "What did you miss?" she asked quietly, moving to kiss his shoulder. _This feels so weird._ She tried hard not to think about everything rolling around in her mind at that moment. _What if I say something wrong? I know we had a relationship, I can tell that much, but how far did we go? _She pictured herself in the lingerie again and felt certain that what she was doing was normal for them.

"Well, uh…" He eyed her body with a smile. "You…" He lost his train of thought when she moved to straddle him and removed her shirt, sitting before him in her black lace bra. "You had certain, specific, qualities." He let his hands glide up her bare stomach.

_I hope he doesn't notice the bulge in my tummy!_ Sydney panicked and quickly tried to distract him by changing her position again. She stretched out so she was lying on top of him and continued kissing his neck. "Like what?" She hoped to pry information out of him. "The first time you saw me, what did you think?" She started kissing down his chest.

"What? You mean in Algeria?"

She glanced up at his face without removing her lips from his stomach. She tried to see what his expression said. She had no memory of Algeria, but it sounded right. "Uh-huh…" she answered slowly, resuming her kisses.

"Oh, do you remember?" He raised his eyebrows.

Sydney thought for a moment. "We couldn't keep our hands off each other…" It seemed like a safe answer.

Simon grinned in agreement, but then suddenly grasped her by the hair and firmly pulled her face back up to his. "I thought to myself, now there is a very beautiful woman, who knows how to deceive!" He shoved her face down on the bed and moved on top of her, holding her body down. He pulled her head back and placed a knife against her neck. "You never went to Milan!" He shouted at her. "Tell me, who the hell you're working for!"

"I'm working for myself, you son of a bitch!" She shouted back, squeezing her eyes against the pain in her head from where he was grasping her hair.

"Yea? Yea? Who's this?" He shoved a pile of photographs in front of her face. They were pictures of her with Vaughn.

Sydney's eyes widened. _How the hell did he get those?_ Thinking quickly, she hoped the laser mic that Vaughn and Weiss were using, really was working. "It's my supplier."

Simon flipped her over so she was on her back, but he was still straddling her, holding her in place with his knees around her hips and his hand on her throat. "Your supplier? What's his name? You lie to me again and I will kill you!" He held the knife closer to her face.

Sydney gasped for breath. "That's Michael Vaughn!" She shouted it loudly, hoping that Weiss and Vaughn had heard. "He's my supplier." If they had heard, Sydney assumed they would leap to action and start making a fake profile for Vaughn as a supplier. "Come on, Simon! What the hell? What, you don't believe me?"

He didn't move. "No! No sweetheart, I don't! Why did you head to the States?"

"Because the alarm system you're asking me to disable is from Chicago! That's Illinois! That's the United States!" She clarified for him. "Milan wasn't going to help us, you freak!"

Simon paused for a second and pulled back slightly. He motioned to the pictures. "That's your supplier?"

"Check his records. Security is all he does…" She insisted, praying that Vaughn and Weiss were taking care of the details on their end.

"Fine, I will." Simon finally moved off of her and slid off the bed.

Sydney sat up slowly, feeling her neck in pain. She glared at his back as he sat at his desk and began to search Interpol records for Michael Vaughn. Sydney stood behind him with her hands on her hips. She felt ready to murder him. _Did I seriously sleep with this psycho? _She felt disgusted with herself. But then she felt worried. _What if Vaughn and Weiss don't get this taken care of? Simon could kill me._

A moment later her fears were gone. Walker located Michael's fake record, with a full history of security jobs. He turned in his chair with an apologetic smile. "Babe…" He stood.

"Now I remember why I left…" She snatched up her shirt and pulled it on quickly. She grabbed her jacket, still glaring at Simon, and strutted out of the bedroom.

She moved into the dining room where she found Javier and Avery waiting at the table. She sat down with them as Simon entered the room, pulling his own shirt back on.

The guys looked at him but he shook his head. "She's good." Javier rolled his eyes and Sydney glared at him. "Okay, we're hitting a storage facility thirty-five miles outside of Saragosa run by the Disease Control Ministry." He began detailing the mission. "Now to get in, we have to cut the power, which is gonna trigger an off-site security response. This gives us five minutes to get in, get the package, and get out. Our target's a biological agent." His cell phone rang and he answered it quickly. "Hello? Good…yea, come in." He nodded to Javier. "Take over."

Javier stood and did so. "Inside the box is a small canister the size of a fist, which we'll be transferring to a portable cooler. Now, keep in mind, once you've opened the safe, you only have one minute to remove the canister before it self-destructs, which means the transfer should be smooth and instantaneous."

"I expect everything is progressing well."

Sydney froze as she heard the familiar British voice speak when Simon opened the door. She slowly stood, being careful to keep her back to the door as she moved over to the other side of the table, letting her long hair hide her face. "Can I study these?" She asked Javier, pointing to the blueprints that were in front of him.

He glared at her. "I know you're hiding something."

She shrugged, determined to remain casual.

"You!" Simon exclaimed, clearly shocked to discover the identity of his employer for the current job. Sydney thought it peculiar that up to this point Simon did not know whom he was working for, but she ignored it, realizing that she didn't know much about this life. "What the hell do you think you're doing here?"

"I was sent here to be your contact at this time."

"I thought I made it clear that I never wanted to see you again mate." Simon growled.

"And I thought I had made it clear that I didn't care much for what you wanted." The British man replied coolly. "I am here for strictly business. The shift rotation's been changed. We'll have to adjust our timetables accordingly." His voice was as professional as Sydney had ever heard it. He clearly wasn't enjoying his job this time. "But that shouldn't change any of our plans. Is your team aware of the fragile nature of the item?"

"Yea." Simon answered in a sort of grunt.

"By my calculations we'll have to move everything up three hours…" He paused as though he was waiting for Simon's response but he said nothing. "When you recover the item, contact me, and we'll exchange it for the remainder of your fee." He paused again. "Any questions?"

"Actually, not so much a question as an interesting bit o' information." Simon paused for a moment. "I think you'd be interested in meeting my latest recruit." He cleared his throat. "Sweetheart, could you come over here a moment."

Sydney took a deep breath, dreading what would happen when she was recognized, which was clearly inevitable. She stood, straightening her shoulders boldly, and strutted over to join Simon, not raising her head until the last possible moment. Finally, she flipped her long hair over one shoulder and lifted her head, receiving a very unexpected response.

"Julia!"

Sydney was momentarily too shocked to reply. She had never imagined that he of all people would have known her during her two missing years. It definitely added an unexpected twist to her quest for discovering where she had been.

"Julia, love, I know you must be surprised to see me here, though of course nowhere near as surprised as I am to see you…but can't you at least manage a 'hello' for me?"

"Hello…Sark." Sydney spoke finally, not quite sure how she was supposed to speak to him, or what sort of relationship they had had together. She thought back to the day she had interrogated him at his cell. If he really knew her as Julia, than he had lied to her face at the cell, claiming that he didn't know what had happened to her.

"Well, fancy this. All us meetin' up so coincidental like…" Simon grinned. "Sort of brings back a deja'vu feel doesn't it?" He cocky grin turned into a scowl. "Then again, the last time the three of us were meetin' up, it didn't quite end so well for me, did it now?"

Sark shook his head. "No it didn't. And I've got to say, I don't anticipate this time working out much better for you."

"You can't steal her away this time mate. She came to me voluntarily." Simon took a step forward as though in an attempt to be intimidating. "She's working with me again."

"You're just dying to throw in a 'so there' aren't you, Simon?" Sydney couldn't help herself. Even though she was clueless about what had conspired between herself and the two men, she could easily pick up on the tension and felt instinctively that there was unsettled rivalry between the two men, strangely, it seemed to be concerning her.

Simon tossed a bitter glare towards Sydney and she made a show of not caring in the least about his feelings or his attitude. It felt like a behavior that she as Julia would take on, though she realized that she wasn't actually at all aware of how Julia did act.

"Julia, babe, why don't you get on back to work now." Simon ordered with a hint of ferocity in his tone.

Sydney turned her deep brown eyes onto him and stared as though she hadn't heard.

"What's wrong?" Simon asked.

"I was just wondering why the hell you assume you can give me orders." Sydney placed her hands on her hips.

Simon frowned. "Jules, did you or did you not offer me your services?"

"I am here to fill in for your security section, but I don't see how that gives you the right to boss me around like your bitch."

Sark raised his eyebrows towards Sydney curiously and she briefly wondered if she had overacted her alias. _Would I seriously have lowered myself to being bossed around by someone like him? _Sydney wondered, staring at Simon critically. She chanced a glance at Sark and realized that he was staring directly at her with a very strange look in his eyes. It was as though he was trying to tell her something, but she couldn't figure out what.

"Mr. Sark, could you excuse us for a moment?" Simon asked firmly, staring only at Sydney.

Sark held out his hands. "Please, don't let my presence keep you from saying anything important."

Simon glared but kept his mouth shut, realizing that Sark was not going to give him the privacy that he desired. Sydney stood still for a moment, not quite knowing what to do next. A part of her wanted to talk to Sark and see what he knew, but another part of her wanted to stay as far away from him as possible so as not to let him know the truth about her lost memories, even though he should have picked up on that when she had come to his CIA cell.

_Oh god, not now! _Suddenly Sydney felt herself growing queasy. _This is not a good time…_she couldn't imagine a worse time for a wave of morning sickness to hit her. She thought it was particularly unfair because it wasn't even morning. She tried to nonchalantly clutch her stomach with her hand, but was worried that she wouldn't be able to keep herself from getting sick.

"We'll adjust to the new schedule, alright?" Simon was arguing with Sark. "Now could you please get the hell out of here?"

Sark slipped his hands into the pockets of his traditional designer suit jacket. He glanced down at the floor and then back up at Simon. "Actually, now _I'd_ like a word with Julia." He stared hard at Simon. "Alone."

"I don't believe there is anything you could say that would interest me." Sydney piped in. Then she quickly snapped her mouth shut, trying to ignore her urge to throw up.

Simon grinned. "Ah-hah! I knew it couldn't be as blissful as you let on mate. She tossed you out same as me, didn't she? Come on now, admit that you've been burned and we'll be equal!"

Sark turned to Simon without a hint of an expression except for the harshness of his pale blue eyes. "Mr. Walker, you and I could never be equal. We share nothing in common."

Simon smirked. "Well we've shared Julia, haven't we?" he snaked his hand around her waist and she instantly shoved him off of her, stepping involuntarily closer to Sark. "Oh, so that's the way it is 'eh?" Simon glared, snapping his arms down to his sides. "You run back and forth between the two of us like a goddamn tennis match!"

"Do not take that tone with me Simon!" Sydney felt a little bold in raising her voice to Simon, but he was making her very upset, and she couldn't control her reactions.

"Now you're telling me what to do? Jules, I thought we were going somewhere here…"

Sydney tried not to laugh. Simon actually looked hurt. A part of her felt a little guilty for hurting the feelings of a man she couldn't even remember. Then in the next minute she thought of how horridly he had been treating her for the last 24 hours and realized that she didn't care much how he felt.

"Come on sweetheart, let's get rid of Mr. Sark and I'll remind you of how much fun we can have together…" He once again tried to pull her back to his side, but she once again shoved him off of her.

"Ten minutes ago you had a knife at my throat! Whatever the hell you might think, having my throat cut by a psychopath is not my idea of fun!" She narrowed her eyes at him. "Simon, I'll be back tomorrow for the job." Sydney turned to Sark. "Let's go."

Sark looked slightly surprised, but nodded and placed his hand on her back to escort her from Simon's home. She tried not to pull away from his touch.

"Jules, sweetheart…" Simon called after her, scowling viciously. "Don't leave here."

"I'm not your 'sweetheart'. I will see you tomorrow." She took a few quick steps ahead of Sark, eager to get away from Simon. Of course once she was alone with Sark she didn't know what she would say to him. She wasn't sure what he knew about her identity as Julia, or what she should tell him, or even if she was going to be safe with him…

"Julia…" Sark snapped her out of her panicked thoughts when they reached the door. "After you." He opened the door for her and waited for her to walk through. She didn't acknowledge him and walked through without even glancing in his direction. She wondered if she would be able to walk away from him without having to say anything, but once they were a few feet into the street he grasped her arm to stop her. "We need to talk."

"I'm not sure I care to actually. I have quite the day tomorrow, and I should be home preparing." Sydney started walking again, trying to put more distance between them.

"Sydney, I need to discuss this with you."

"Discuss what?" Sydney hissed. "Sark, I should arrest you right now…"

"You can't arrest me, your government just released me a couple of weeks ago!" He argued. "I haven't done anything wrong yet…"

"You're obviously working with a terrorist group!"

"And what about you, _Julia_?" He cocked an eyebrow. "What the hell are you doing back here with Simon? I thought you didn't remember anything!" He glared at her. "I knew you were just lying to me when you came to see me! It's always been an act with you, hasn't it?"

"I wasn't acting!" She shouted at him and then brought her voice back down. "And I thought you said that you had nothing to do with my missing years."

"I didn't. Not in the sense you implied at least." He snapped. "But I would be lying if I claimed that I hadn't seen you during the past few years."

"Where the hell have I been, Sark?" She demanded, suddenly disregarding her previous desire to get away from him as soon as possible. Now she saw him as a possible link to her memories. The only link she'd found yet. "Who the hell is Julia? Why can't I remember anything?"

For a moment he considered that she might actually be telling the truth. "How can you not remember anything?"

"I don't know." She shrugged. "I wish I did. You don't know how incredibly awful it is…" Her voice broke and again she felt herself getting sick. Though this time she wasn't sure if it was morning sickness or pain from thinking about her problem.

He took a deep breath, deciding that if she was lying to him about her memories, she was doing a damn good job. "Sydney, I don't know what happened to your memories. I'm sorry." He shook his head. "I wish I could be of more help, but we both have jobs to do and I suggest we get to them and get out of each other's lives." He started to leave her.

"Sark, wait!" She stopped him. "You know more than you're letting on! Tell me what I need to know!"

"Why should I?" He cocked an eyebrow. "If you really don't know what happened, which I'm still doubtful of, you wouldn't believe anything I tell you."

She started to protest, but another wave of nausea hit her, and she didn't think she'd be able to ignore this one. She glared at him and hurried away so he wouldn't witness her sickness.

"Sydney…" He wasn't ready to talk to her about the two years, but he hadn't expected her to flee from him.

_What the hell is going on? _He started walking to his car. _Kendall didn't mention anything about her losing her memories. Then again he wasn't exactly chatty when he had me arrested. Then again she obviously hadn't lost them yet or she wouldn't have been able to give away my location. _He climbed into his car and slammed the door shut bitterly. _I can't believe she's playing Julia again. I assumed that she had given up that gig when she gave up me._


	41. Deception & Sex

_A/N: Yay! Only 2 reviews away from 300!! This is exciting. The next goal, 333 – haha, this is because 3 is my favorite number and 3 3's is even better! Thanks so much for all the reviews! I love hearing all your thoughts on what I'm writing. I haven't yet made the decision about who will find out next about her pregnancy so I'm still taking votes on that one! Please leave me your opinions. _

_Also, new voting subject. Should Lauren be bad in this story like she is on the show? Or should she be sort of too irrelevant to build a plot around? _

_Thanks again!_

"So the mission was a success?" Weiss grinned as Sydney entered the hotel room where he and Vaughn were waiting for her to return after she had completed her assignment with Simon.

Sydney slipped off her jacket and flopped onto the bed. "I stuck the tracer on the weapons and now we wait."

Vaughn nodded and instantly turned to his laptop to begin tracing the weapons, which were in Simon's possession. "Then I suppose we should start packing so we can head back to LA."

Sydney didn't respond. _I can't leave. _She felt certain about that. _Playing the part of Julia has given me more insight into the past two years than anything I've learned in the past three weeks! _She hated not knowing how her life had intertwined with Sark and Simon. _If I back out now I might never have another chance…_

"Sydney, you okay?" Weiss moved over to her and stretched out beside her on the bed. "You've succeeded beautifully, but you don't seem at all excited." He turned on his side to look at her. "Shouldn't this be a celebratory moment?"

Sydney smiled at him. "Yea, it should. I mean, it is…" She made a quick decision. "I'm just feeling wired." She sat up. "This mission was just a little stressful." She glanced over at Vaughn who had his back to him and didn't seem to be paying attention to her and Weiss. "I'm going to get some fresh air." She placed her hand on her stomach and smiled at Weiss for emphasis.

"Sure, want some company?" Weiss stood quickly, preparing to join her.

Sydney shook her head. "No, actually. Thanks, but I'd kind of like some quiet time."

"Sure, okay…" Weiss looked concerned but didn't argue with her preference.

Sydney gave him a reassuring smile and left the room without explaining herself to Vaughn. Though she assumed he wouldn't much care where she was going, anyway.

Once she had left the hotel, Sydney hailed a cabbie and directed him to Simon's place. She knew that what she was about to do was foolish in so many ways, and if she had mentioned it to anyone they all would have told her not to. She was determined though. Other than Sark, Simon was her only chance at finding out where she had been and what she had been doing, because she was clearly active. Sark was even less of an option than Simon, and so her only choice seemed obvious.

"Aquí, Señorita?" The cabbie clarified with Sydney as he pulled up out front.

"Sí, gracias." Sydney paid the cabbie and climbed out.

_Why do I only have some memories? _Sydney mused to herself as she pushed open the gate and made her way up the winding driveway to the front door. _I hate having only flashes of memory. _She knocked on the door and waited impatiently. _If I have some flashes though, it has to be a good sign. At least I know I didn't lose my memory permanently. Maybe I can get it back somehow…_she knocked harder, but nobody answered. She sighed, almost giving up, but suddenly another memory jumped to mind.

"Thank you brain!" Sydney grinned as she knelt on the cobblestone and felt around with her fingers until she found a stone that wiggled slightly. She dug her nails under it and lifted it out, revealing a hidden house key. After opening the front door she replaced the key beneath the stone and entered the house.

During the drive over she had been thinking of a way to convince Simon to keep her in his life for a while. Considering how much Simon seemed to think of her as a sex object, Sydney had decided that was her best way in. She headed straight for the large bathroom adjoining the master bedroom. Everything seemed familiar, all the steps she was taking…it was easy for her to locate things in the house, but she still didn't have any solid memories. Just instincts.

Sydney heard the front door opening only fifteen minutes later. She had to take a few deep breaths to calm herself for what she was about to do.

"Hi…" Sydney let the simple word slip out of her mouth sweetly as she emerged from the bedroom wearing only a towel.

Simon stopped in shock as he stepped through the front door. His keys slipped from his hands and his mouth dropped open slightly. "Hi yourself…"

"We worked hard today…" She commented, stepping forward slowly. "It seems only right that we celebrate with a nice relaxing evening…"

Simon frowned, shut the front door, and progressively moved towards Sydney. "Just the two of us?"

"That's the idea." Sydney smiled. "Unless you had other plans tonight…" She shrugged. "I'd understand…"

Simon shook his head. "Nope, no plans." He approached her, eyeing her appearance with eagerness. "Now Jules, don't think I'm not lovin' this look on you, but I'm a bit confused here."

She reached for his shirt and pulled it up over his head. "Follow me and I think you'll understand." She turned and headed back towards the bathroom. He followed quickly, but stopped when he saw how she had fixed it up. Sydney had drawn a bubble bath in the deep marble tub, and had lit candles all around the bathroom.

"I do get the idea of course sweetheart, but that's not what my confusion's all 'bout." Simon told her as she started working on his belt.

"What's wrong?"

He grabbed her wrists suddenly and forced her to stop. "Last night you couldn't get away from me fast enough. You just ran out with that bloke as though I didn't mean a thing in the world to you."

Sydney smiled and began kissing his neck. "Don't worry about Sark."

"I'm not worried 'bout him. I'm worried 'bout you runnin' off again." Simon told her. He didn't fight against her kisses, but she could tell it would take some work convincing him to let her back in his life. Clearly she had pushed all his wrong buttons. "I've had just 'bout enough of your bloody mind games Julia."

She shrugged and stepped back. "I know I've been cruel in the past Simon. But I'm trying to make it up to you."

"Is that what this is then? A peace offering?"

"You could call it that." She smiled and started kissing him again. "Or you could just call it a good time."

Simon snickered and wrapped his arms around her waist tightly. "No argument with that. But Jules…"

"I thought you said you missed me…" Sydney reminded him. She kissed a trail from his collarbone up to his jaw.

"I…I did…" His breathing was becoming excited.

"Then why don't you want me back?"

"I do want you back, but I just don't want all your baggage back." Simon told her.

She picked up on a hint of bitterness in his tone and wondered what he meant exactly. She decided to take a chance though. "What baggage?"

Simon rolled his eyes. "You know what I'm talkin' 'bout Jules."

She considered what he was talking about and made a quick decision. "Are you referring to Sark?"

"Is there someone else I should be concerned 'bout?" He asked with a frown.

"No, there's nobody but you and me." She drawled, resuming her kisses.

"Then what were you 'bout last night?" Simon frowned, mumbling against the kisses. He held her away. "Why'd you run off last night? You came to me voluntarily and I thought things might be better between us, but then the second he shows up you're off again." He glanced at the bathtub longingly, but then glared at her. "What's in your head Jules?"

Sydney offered him her most innocent smile. "Sark and I needed to discuss some unfinished business. That's all."

He raised an eyebrow. "Is it?"

"Absolutely." She kissed his nose. "I would be happy if I never saw him again in my life."

"Oh, I am glad to hear that sweetheart." He slid his hand behind her neck. "It would make me quite happy too. In fact, it would make me happy if he were dead, but I 'spose that's just wishful thinkin'."

Sydney shrugged. "Maybe one day we'll be able to arrange it."

"Is that a promise?" Simon grinned.

"I don't make promises." She replied. "Now, how long are you going to make me beg?"

"Is that what you call this?" He laughed. "If this is you beggin' I'd say you've got quite a bit of work to do."

Sydney started feeling frustrated with Simon. _If he doesn't let me back into his life, then I'll never learn anything about what I can't remember! _She hated herself for what she felt she had to do, but it was the only thing she could think of. _If only Sark would tell me the truth, I wouldn't have to put myself in this situation with Simon. _

"Now, as much as I have missed you Jules, and as incredibly sexy as you are at this moment, I can't forget our past. I'm not sure I can trust you." He decided.

Sydney shrugged. "That's something you'll just have to get over." She dropped her towel to the floor and he stared at her with desire. "Trust isn't necessary for what I'm proposing."

He grinned and seemed to forget everything that was making him hesitate. "I agree." He pulled her tight to himself and kissed her eagerly.

_This is so wrong. _She tried not to analyze everything she was doing, because she knew it would never make sense.

…………

"Simon, are you awake?" Sydney rested her hand on his neck and whispered in his ear.

"Not anymore." He growled, swatting her hand away as she started to tickle through his hair.

"Don't be grumpy." She insisted. "I wanted to ask you something."

"What?"

"A favor…" Sydney had been awake for almost an hour trying to think of her next step. Now that she had regained Simon's trust, or at least adoration, she needed him to help her with her memories. "I've had a pretty hard couple of weeks and I'm in need of something extraordinary to put me back in a happy mood."

"How's that my problem?" He asked, still without turning around or even opening his eyes.

She smacked his head and he glared at her over his shoulder. She raised an eyebrow. "Stop being a bastard and give me your attention."

"Look sweetheart, last night was incredible…you were incredible. But you know I'm not a morning person, so please bugger off." Simon tugged at the blankets, pulling them away from her.

"Okay, cold!" She pulled them back to cover herself. "I want you to take me somewhere, Simon!"

"I'll take you to breakfast when I wake up."

"That's not what I meant." Sydney whined. "I don't want you to take me out for food, I want you to take me someplace that I love. Take me somewhere that will make my week better."

"Jules, I don't know where you want me to take you." He finally rolled over to face her.

She frowned. He wasn't making this easy for her. "Oh come on, I'm sure you know enough about me to know what places I enjoy!"

He rolled his eyes. "Now you're just being irritating. You're just trying to throw it in my face, aren't you?"

"Throw what in your face?"

He sat up and she could tell he was frustrated. "Why're you always reminding me how limited our relationship was? You know how much I've always wanted to take you out and give you a good time. It's not my fault that you're so bloody stubborn!"

Sydney tried to figure out what the hell he was talking about. _We never went out? _

"We could go to my place, but I'm not sure the Covenant would want me heading back to Rome yet." He settled himself back down beside her. "We'll have to wait until the exchange takes place, but then we can go to my place. Or we could go somewhere else. I've always wanted to take you to Tahiti." He kissed her and she tried not to pull away. "We could find one of those nude beaches and just bask in the sun all day…"

She forced a smile, trying to ignore how not fun his plan sounded. "Sure." She slipped out of bed and pulled on his robe. "When's the exchange?"

He glanced at the clock beside the bed. "In an hour."

"Can I come with?"

He hesitated. "I'm not sure that'd be a good idea, sweetheart."

"Why?" She frowned. "You just don't want me to come because you're meeting Sark, huh?"

"That's not why…" He failed at lying.

"I told you that nothing was going on between us." She reminded him. "Now, I'm going to take a shower and I am going to come with you."

"Fine, I know better than to argue with you." He rolled back over. "Wake me when you're finished."

Sydney waited for a minute until she heard him softly begin to snore again. Once she was confident he was asleep, she crept out to the living room to retrieve her cell phone from her purse. She dialed the only person she could think of.

"Sydney! Where have you been? Vaughn and Weiss said you ran out last night and didn't come back."

"Dad, calm down. There was something I had to do." She whispered into the phone.

"What?" Jack asked.

"I can't tell you, but just trust me on this okay?"

"Why are you whispering?"

"Dad, please don't ask questions. I don't think you'd understand." She sighed.

"Sydney, where are you?"

"I'm at Simon Walker's safe house."

"You're where?"

"I had to! Dad, he knows me. He and I had a relationship together." She explained everything in a rush before he had a chance to interrupt. "I need to know what I can't remember, and if anybody could help me, I think it could be him!"

"Sydney this is insane! You can't trust him!"

"Dad, I can't trust myself right now." She felt like crying. "I can't handle not knowing. I am willing to do whatever it takes to find out what I've forgotten."

"There has to be another way."

"You know there isn't. Not without invasive brain experiments, and neither one of us are willing to let me do that…" She reminded him.

"I know, but I still don't like the idea of you staying with this guy. We know nothing about him, but he seems to know a lot about you!"

"Not about me, dad. About Julia." Sydney corrected him.

Her dad was silent for a minute and she knew that he wasn't happy about her decision, but also that he realized it was the only choice she had if she wanted to learn the truth. Finally he sighed. "Be careful."

"I always am." Sydney heard something from the bedroom. "I've got to go. I think he's waking up."

"Waking up?" Jack exclaimed. "Never mind. It's probably better if I don't know the details."

"I'll call you when I get a chance." She hung up quickly and hurried back to the bedroom and into the bathroom before he noticed her. She showered quickly and when she finished, Simon was just getting up.

"I'll be ready in a half hour."

"Make it fifteen minutes." Simon told her as he headed to take his own shower. "We've got a bit of a drive to meet with our contact."

"Fine." Sydney pulled on the outfit she had worn to his house the previous night, which consisted of black leather pants and a black halter-top. "Do you have any thoughts for breakfast?" Sydney asked, moving into the bathroom to fix her hair while Simon showered.

"I don't think I've got any tea for you, but we could stop somewhere if we leave early." He replied, speaking above the roar of the shower.

_Tea?_ Sydney frowned. _I don't like tea._ "Anything's fine with me."


	42. Promise Me

_A/N: Well, Happy Valentine's to all my wonderful readers! This isn't exactly a romance-filled chapter, though there are some sweet sentiments expressed. Also, this chapter marks the end of Simon and Sydney! That should make some people excited! Right? Thanks again for all the reviews!!! _

Sydney felt anxious as she sat in the back of the car with Simon as they were driven to the designated meeting place, where Sark was inevitably waiting. She couldn't explain what she was feeling, but it had been reoccurring since the day that she had met with Sark in his cell. The confusion was overwhelming.

_Why should I be thinking about him at all? He shouldn't be in my head! _She had her arms crossed over her chest and her head resting back against the seat as she thought. _When I saw him last night, something felt familiar. I don't want to say it, but being with him almost felt comfortable. _She remembered the expression in his eyes when he accused her of only ever acting. He had looked hurt, disappointed maybe. _What sort of relationship did we have together? How did he know me? _

"What's on your mind, sweetheart?" Simon broke into her thoughts suddenly.

She glanced at him and realized that she'd been quiet for almost fifteen minutes. He had been watching her for ten of them. "Nothing serious."

"Honestly?" He smirked. "You looked pretty serious to me."

"I'm just tired."

"Oh? Did I wear you out last night?" He scooted closer to her on the bench and placed his hand on her leg.

Sydney flinched slightly, but he had stared kissing her ear and didn't notice her movement. She didn't answer him, and she was thankful that she didn't have to because only a moment later the car came to a stop and the driver announced that they had arrived.

Simon opened the car door and headed out. "Maybe you ought to wait here, Jules." He sounded a little nervous as he glanced ahead of the car.

Sydney shook her head. "I'm not a child."

"Trust me sweetheart, I'm very aware of that fact." He grinned.

She didn't smile. "I meant, you can't boss me around. I don't like waiting in the car like a little kid." She followed him out quickly. "I am just as much a part of this job as you are. Without me, you would've had quite a challenge getting it done."

He didn't acknowledge what she had said, but turned to retrieve the briefcase from the car and moved forward without waiting for her. Sark's car was already there and when Simon stepped forward, he emerged from the car.

Sydney hung back momentarily, suddenly hesitant to see Sark again, but when he saw her, his eyes seemed to brighten and her confidence was restored. She moved forward, stepping up beside Simon.

"Julia, I didn't expect to see you here today." Sark greeted her calmly.

"I didn't think it would be a problem." She responded with equal casualty.

"I would've left her in bed, but you know how persistent she can be mate." Simon spoke up, making sure that Sark knew she had been with him last night.

Sark's eye twitched. Just barely, but Sydney noticed. Again she thought he looked hurt.

"Now, if you don't mind, let's get on with it. Jules and I've got quite the day planned." Simon snaked his hand around her waist, pulling her close.

Looking at Sark, Sydney felt strangely guilty about letting him see her with Simon. _Why am I feeling like this? _She hated the frustration of not understanding what she was feeling. She wanted to push away from Simon, but she knew that could jeopardize what she was trying to accomplish by coming to him in the first place.

Sark gazed at her for another brief moment before motioning for Simon to place the briefcase on the hood of his car. "I would hate to delay your plans."

Sydney leaned against the car while the guys focused on the business part of the meeting. She waited impatiently, trying to organize her thoughts. Strangely, she had an urge to ditch Simon and go with Sark. But she knew that was ridiculous. Sark had been in CIA custody only a couple of weeks ago. Nobody would understand her actions. Then again, nobody would probably understand her being with Simon at the moment either. She didn't even understand it. After last night she had expected things to be clearer, but they seemed worse. He didn't seem to know her that well at all, other than physically.

"This is good." Sark accepted the briefcase from Simon and handed him another filled with money. "It's all there, but I won't blame you if you wish to count it."

Simon debated momentarily and then nodded. "I think I will." He moved into the backseat of his car to count the money, if for no other reason than to irritate Sark, but Sark almost seemed to have wanted him to.

"Sydney…" The moment Simon had disappeared into the car, Sark stepped closer to her and whispered so only she could hear him.

"What?" She scowled at how close he was.

"What are you doing with him?" He demanded.

"It's none of your business!" She retorted, then reconsidered. "I'm figuring out where the hell I've been for the past two years. Since nobody else will tell me, I have been forced to turn to the one person who seems to know something!"

"Simon Walker?" Sark scoffed. "You shouldn't be with him. It's not safe for you, especially if you don't remember what sort of relationship the two of you had. If he found out somehow that Julia Thorne was nothing more than an alias for you…" He paused. "By the way, did you know Julia was English? Neglecting your accent has been dangerous enough for you."

Sydney wasn't sure how to respond. She didn't understand why the character she had been playing for clearly at least a part of the past two years, had been English. Then she realized that she was more frustrated about the fact that she still didn't know why she had been playing a character at all.

Sark watched her for a moment and then glanced around her to make sure that Simon was still busy within the car. "Sydney," he leaned toward her to whisper. "I know you better than to argue with your decision, but please, promise me you'll be careful."

Sydney felt too surprised to reply. _Why does he care about my safety? _

"Sydney…" He waited for her response.

"I promise…" She answered, not sure what else to say.

He seemed to be finished and she started to turn away, but he stopped her one last time. "If anything goes wrong, and you find yourself in over your head…"

"Yea?"

"I know you won't agree, but if you need to, you can come to me."

"Why would I do that?" She answered without a moment's hesitation.

"You wouldn't." He answered calmly. "But you would have, before…"

"I…" She didn't have time to follow up his comment because Simon was now finished counting the money and was rejoining them.

"I think that makes things between us complete." Simon told Sark with a very firm tone.

Sark nodded. "For now."

"No, not for _now_, for good, mate. I don't want to see your face again!" He stepped closer to Sark, unintentionally shoving Sydney to the side.

Sark let out a short breath and momentarily considered relenting to Simon's intensity, but glancing at Sydney, he changed his mind. "Sorry _mate_, but I don't take orders from pathetic bastards like you." Simon raged but Sark continued. "Julia's not feeling quite herself at the moment, but just give her time and she'll realize that you're not who she wants to be with."

"You son of a bitch!" Simon roared. He lunged at Sark, but he swiftly stepped aside, leaving Simon to stumble and topple forward to the pavement.

Sark stepped over to Sydney while Simon picked himself up and dusted off his slacks. "Remember what I said." Sark placed a small slip of paper in Sydney's hand and briefly pressed his lips against her cheek. Again she was too stunned to react and by the time she had recovered her senses, he had moved away from her and back over to his own car.

"Let's go." Simon glared fiercely in the direction of Sark's car as he was driven away. "Jules!" He took her hand when she didn't respond, and pulled her towards the door to the car. "I thought you and he were over."

Sydney easily picked up on the anger in his tone, and she didn't know how to respond.

"I've got a feeling that you haven't been entirely truthful with me." He nearly pushed her into the car before sliding in after her and slamming the door shut sharply. "Drive." He muttered bitterly to their driver.

"I don't know what you're talking about Simon." Sydney tried not to let her voice waver, regardless of how hesitant she was now feeling about the decision she had made in returning to Simon.

"I'm not an idiot Julia." He sat beside her stiffly, with his arms folded and his head forward, determined not to look at her.

She again remained silent. The warnings that Sark had given her had made her nervous. What if is she did need to know something about her past with Simon? What if she was forgetting something that could jeopardize her alias?

"Oh, I see, you're ignoring me now?" Simon huffed. "That's real nice, Jules."

"I'm not ignoring you Simon," she told him gently. "I…I just don't know what to say."

"Well you could start by tellin' me what you're playin' me for."

"I'm not trying to play you…"

"What's goin' on between you and Julian Sark?"

"Nothing." Sydney answered firmly. "He is pursuing me irrationally."

Simon was quiet now. "How can I trust you, Jules?"

She caressed his cheek. "How can you not?"

"Don't!" He grasped her wrist. "I'm not fallin' for your flirtations right now."

Sydney snatched her hand away from him and stared out the window moodily. _If he won't even talk to me, then how can I expect him to help me remember anything? _She wouldn't even let herself consider going to Sark. He was not an option to retrieving her memories. _Not that he would voluntarily help me anyway. _

The car ride was irritatingly silent until the car pulled up to Simon's place and the driver came around to help Sydney from the car. She hadn't yet made up her mind about what she was going to do, but she wasn't going to leave until Simon gave her a reason to. He may be able to help her somehow…

"Julia!" Simon hurried to catch up to her as she started towards the door. "We need to set something straight."

"Fine." She paused on the walkway and stared at him, waiting for him to speak.

"Not here, you stupid bint."

Sydney started to argue with his name calling, but he stalked around her and headed to the house, without waiting to see if she was following. She hesitated briefly before running after him. Simon fixed himself a drink and then sat on a stiff leather couch in the living room. Sydney took a seat across from him on the other couch.

"What's on your mind, Simon?"

His expression was difficult to read, but she got a very angry vibe from him, and she couldn't help feeling a little worried. Maybe she had done something wrong, as Sark had mentioned. Perhaps Simon wasn't falling for her act anymore.

"Sweetheart, I don't know how long you expected this little charade to carry on, but I've got to tell you, I'm over it."

"What do you mean?" Sydney tried not to let her voice waver.

"When you first came back, I didn't complain, mostly because I truly have missed you, and I knew we could use your skills on the job." He took a sip of his vodka. "And when you came back last night, I wanted you too much to turn you down." Now he cocked his eyebrow and gave her a rather suggestive grin. "And believe me, I enjoyed last night thoroughly. You definitely haven't lost your talent in bed, Jules."

_Gross. _Sydney forced herself to smile a little. "I'm sorry Simon, but I'm not seeing the problem."

"Just because you waltz in here lookin' all sexy in that little leather outfit, and throw yourself at me, doesn't mean I'm goin' to overlook the past." He told her.

"Simon, can't you just let the past be past?" Sydney desperately wished she knew what he was talking about. _What happened in the past?_

"No sweetheart, I can't." His voice rose slightly and Sydney decided it might be better if she just listened for a while. "If things had ended differently I might find myself a bit more acceptin' of it all, but since it ended with that bastard puttin' a gun in my face, I'm findin' it a bit difficult to get over."

Sydney frowned. _How can I not remember things like this? And who is he talking about? He couldn't mean Sark, could he? _

"Now correct me if I'm wrong Jules, but last time I saw you, you made it quite clear that you had no desire to ever see me again."

Sydney froze. She wasn't sure how to answer for something that she had no recollection of. Finally she nodded.

"So, what're you doin' back in my life?"

"Can't a girl change her mind?"

"I think the exact words were something like 'I never want to see you again, you psychotic bastard'." Simon reminded her.

Sydney almost laughed, but quickly caught herself. Instead she offered him her most pathetically seductive smile and moved over to the couch, perching on his lap. "As I said, things in my life haven't been as thrilling as I had hoped…I realized what I had lost and I came to get it back." She kissed the tip of his nose.

He didn't respond momentarily, but allowed her to continue her kisses until she had moved her mouth over his. He kissed her deeply, but then suddenly she felt his teeth pierce her lip.

"Damnit Simon!" She leaned away from him, gasping from the unexpected pain. She felt her lip and pulled her fingers away, revealing small spots of blood "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Just showin' you how it feels." He shoved her off of his lap and stood up. "I don't like being jerked around like a bloody yo-yo. You once told me that you weren't going to act anymore, and I'm afraid I'm not either. I'm finished with your mind games, bitch."

"Simon, I'm sorry for my previous actions, but I've changed, okay?" She wiped her bleeding mouth on the back of her hand and stepped towards him again, placing her hand on his chest. "Didn't you miss me?"

"Of course I missed you, Jules. But, I'm not willing to take back Mr. Sark's reject whores."

Sydney slapped him automatically. He slapped her back and she whimpered in surprise at how hard he had hit her.

"I've made up my mind Julia." Simon told her firmly. "We've had some good times, and last night was a thrill, but get the hell out of my house!"

Sydney narrowed her eyes. "I won't give you another chance."

"Good. I won't ask for it." He stood tall.

"You are a psychotic bastard!" She snapped.

He hit her again, this time even harder, and this time near the eye. It stung with pain. "Goodbye."

Sydney quickly retrieved her jacket and purse and left the house.


	43. I think he might be

_A/N: well, I hadn't expected to get another update so soon, but all the reviews were so damn nice, I couldn't help myself! Not to mention, being single on Valentine's gave me an excuse to write! So here you go, Happy belated Valentine's and enjoy! (And review of course!) XOXOXO_

"Sydney, where the hell have you been?" Vaughn jumped to attention as Sydney opened the door of their hotel room.

_I should have known they'd just be sitting here, waiting for me._ She sighed, as she entered, not willing to discuss her previous twenty-four hours with Vaughn and Weiss. "I've been out." She knew that answer wouldn't pass with them.

"Sydney…" Vaughn frowned at her curt answer and started towards her.

She held up her hand, signaling for him not to approach. "I've had a long night, and an even longer day, and I am not in the mood to talk right now." She dropped her purse on the side table and moved over to the bed, crawling onto it wearily. Her whole body felt tired from the stress that she had been dealing with and all she wanted was to sleep for a week.

"You can't seriously expect us to just accept that answer!" Vaughn persisted. "You were supposed to be going out for a walk. When you didn't return we thought something had happened to you!" He stood beside the bed, waiting for her to give him her attention. "If you hadn't have checked in with your dad, we would have had half he agency looking for you!"

"I'm sorry I worried you." She sighed. When she tried making her head comfortable on the pillow, she winced in pain, realizing that she was probably sore from Simon hitting her. She rolled over, intending to rest on her other side.

"Oh my god! Sydney what happened?" The terror in Vaughn's voice alarmed Sydney and she sat up quickly.

"Nothing!" She responded instantly.

Weiss had joined them now and when he saw what Vaughn saw, his face contorted into an unmistakable expression of panic. "Syd, where were you and what were you doing?"

Sydney touched her face and gasped when she felt her eye slightly swollen. She stood and hurried to the mirror to inspect herself. _Oh my god…I didn't realize he hit me that hard!_ She felt like crying from the pathetic situation she had gotten herself into. Her eye was already showing signs of blackening and it was puffy, in the process of swelling shut.

"Sydney, we deserve an explanation."

"I pissed off the wrong person." She told them with forced calmness.

"Who?" Vaughn followed up.

She knew they would get the truth eventually. "Simon Walker."

Neither of the guys spoke for a minute. Sydney assumed they were trying to figure out how to respond. Finally Weiss exploded. "Sydney, have you lost your mind?"

She glared at his choice of words. "In a manner of speaking…"

"That's not what I was referring to…" He rolled his eyes. "How could you have gone back to him? Why would you have gone back to him?"

"And why didn't you tell us?" Vaughn questioned. He still didn't seem to be completely recovered from the shock of Sydney's confession.

"Because I knew that you wouldn't let me go." She answered honestly. "It was just something I had to do."

"Did you spend the night with him?" Vaughn asked quickly. His voice sounded harsh.

Sydney felt instinctively that she should lie to him, but then the next second she thought of Lauren and felt an urge to make him jealous, if at all possible. "Yes I did."

Vaughn's forehead creased and he turned away from her as though unable to look at her anymore. Weiss, however, had plenty to say. "What were you thinking? Do you have any idea how dangerous that could have been for you?"

She knew he was thinking about her baby. "Yes, I do." She motioned to her eye and he sighed.

"Why did he hit you?" Weiss asked. His voice was a little less judgmental, and a little gentler.

"Because of how I treated him in the past." She explained.

"How was that?" Weiss inquired.

"I don't know." She told him, a little more sharply than she intended. "I can't remember my past. Before this week I had never heard of Simon Walker, but he remembers a whole relationship with me, and a breakup I suppose…"

"And this is exactly why you shouldn't have gone to him!" Vaughn spoke up. "You're messing with people who knew you to be a certain way."

"English." She muttered unconsciously.

"What?"

She shrugged. "Julia had an English accent."

"How do you know that?"

For some reason, Sydney didn't feel comfortable telling them about Sark's knowledge of her as Julia. "I've just learned a few things." She suddenly felt lightheaded and wavered slightly.

"Are you okay?" Weiss asked quickly.

"Fine…" She gave him a pointed frown and he motioned to the bed. "I'm just tired. These past couple of days have been…exhausting."

Vaughn let out a meaningful grunt. "I wonder why."

Sydney glared at him. "If you don't mind, I think I'd like to take a nap."

"Actually, we do mind." Vaughn spoke up. The tone of his voice signaled to Sydney that he wasn't about to let her off the hook. "We've been going crazy while you were off having your fun, and now we're behind schedule. We need to be tracing the weapons, so if _you_ don't mind, we need to pack and get back to LA."

"Fine." Sydney stared at him hard. He was determined to be unrelenting in his mood, but she was equally determined to show him that she didn't care what he thought of her choice to return to Simon.

"I'm going for a walk." Vaughn decided suddenly. "I'll be back in fifteen minutes. Be ready to go."

Sydney was silent until he had left, and the moment he slammed the door shut she turned to Weiss. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you." She hadn't moved from the bed. She wasn't feeling especially strong at the moment. "It was just something that I had to do…I didn't think you would understand if I had told you before I left…"

Weiss brought her a glass of water and set it on the table beside her bed. "I know Syd." Weiss then placed her suitcase on the bed and started packing it for her. "But I do wish you had told me. I might not have understood fully, but I would have supported you."

Sydney's eyes watered. "Really?"

"Not happily, but I respect you too well to try and stand in your way." He glanced over at her and smiled. "You have no idea how terrified I was when you didn't come back. I thought something horrible had happened to you."

"I'm sorry…" She was starting to feel guilty for having just left like she did.

"I know you don't like to admit it, but you're not in the best condition for running off and carrying out missions completely on your own!" He shook his head. "Especially when they involve spending the night with a guy you don't know!"

"But he knows me." She murmured quietly. She knew it wasn't a very reasonable excuse, but it was the only thought that had driven her to Simon's the night before. "Weiss, he knows me."

Weiss sighed. "I know Sydney, and that's what scares me more than anything else." He glanced towards the door and then at Sydney. "Vaughn cares about you, Syd. Regardless of how upset he seems, and how careless he seems about all this…he's only this upset because he was scared."

Sydney nodded. "I know."

"Do you?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Things have been going so quickly since you came back, and you've had to deal with so much…Lauren and Vaughn, the pregnancy, and your memories on top of everything else! I just wonder if you realize what everyone else has been going through."

"Weiss…" Sydney wasn't sure if she wanted to hear what he was about to say.

"No, you need to hear this." He insisted. "Everyone thought you were dead. We had a funeral for you…Vaughn spread your ashes, or at least he thought he did. After that, he was a wreck." Weiss stopped packing momentarily to make his point. "I've known him for ten years, but I've never seen him anywhere near where he was. I thought that losing you was going to kill him. He quit work, he started drinking, he never left his house…"

"Weiss…" She felt her eyes burning and she desperately wanted for him to stop. "I can't do this right now!"

He didn't stop. "But he eventually started getting better. It wasn't quick, and it definitely wasn't easy, but it happened. Lauren did help a lot. Meeting her was the best thing that could have happened to him at that point in his life. She gave him a _new_ reason to live."

Sydney couldn't hold her tears back any longer and they started spilling down her cheeks. "But I wasn't dead."

"Sydney, you know you can't hold that against him. We had no reason to think you would ever be back in our lives. You wouldn't honestly want him to continue to suffer, would you?"

"No." She whimpered. "But that doesn't help me any."

"I know." Weiss sat beside her on the bed and soothingly stroked her hair. "It's not fair to you, and in a way you being back isn't fair to him. And it's really not fair to Lauren, but it's life, and you've all got to find a way to deal with it."

"We were so happy together." Sydney sniffed. "And now he's happy with Lauren…and I'm alone and pregnant! I'm going to be a miserable single mother!"

He smiled slightly. "I know it's hard, but you have to believe that it will get better eventually. But in the meantime you have to remember that you have people around you who care about you and want to help you! What can someone like Simon Walker give you that we can't?" Weiss noticed her hand unconsciously moving to her stomach.

"I think he might be the father…"

"Really?" Weiss hadn't been expecting that.

"I don't know. When I slept with him last night, it felt familiar. I know last night wasn't our first time." She confessed. "The way he acts…the things he says…I am sure that we had some sort of relationship, at least for a while."

"That doesn't necessarily mean that it's him."

Sydney made a sort of snorting sound. "I don't like thinking that I was involved with multiple guys that I can't remember!"

"We'll figure this out Sydney." Weiss assured her. "But you have to make me a promise."

She smiled, "Okay?"

"Promise that you won't go running off on your own anymore! Trust me enough to tell me what's going on."

Sydney was suddenly reminded of the promise that Sark had demanded from her. _"Promise me you'll be careful…" _He had said. She sighed. _I wish he wouldn't be so deceiving. Why can't he just tell me what he knows about me? What's the big deal? _

"Syd, promise me!" Weiss repeated, cutting into her thoughts.

"I promise."

"Fine, I'll let it slide for now then." Weiss resumed the packing, leaving Sydney on the bed to rest.

She watched him with half-opened eyes. He finished packing her clothes and then moved into the bathroom to retrieve her toiletries. When he was out of sight, Sydney slipped her hand into the pocket of her jacket and pulled out the paper that Sark had discreetly given her.

_I should just do it and see what happens. _She told herself firmly as her eyes speedily traced the digits of the phone number he had scrawled on the paper. _I should call him and ask him what he knows. The worst that could happen would be a few wasted minutes on the phone…_She read the number twice more before her skilled brain had memorized it. _It's just a stupid phone call…_She sighed and dropped the slip of paper into the water glass, letting the ink dissolve into the liquid. _No. _Her decision was resolute. Calling Julian Sark was not an option. The thought of having to turn to him for help disgusted her, but more than that, she feared what he would tell her. A small inkling in her mind told her that their acquaintance during the past two years hadn't been particularly platonic.


	44. An address in Rome

_A/N: If you haven't actually seen season 3 of "Alias" some of this story could be a bit confusing because I'm going to be skipping over parts that were in the show, that I want in my story as well. I'll give a brief outline of what I'm not writing, and if you've seen the show you should understand what's happened, and if you haven't feel free to email me with any questions! It won't be anything too critical, but just little things that might be necessary for complete understanding. _

_scenes not mentioned…After his 'abduction' Sloane has become in a position to play a double for the covenant and the CIA and he and Sydney were forced to do a mission together – this scene takes place immediately following the completion of that mission _

_ Some dialogue taken directly from season 3 _

"At 4:30 GMT, an imaging satellite picked up the heat signature of a small aircraft flying a tactical profile." Dixon was explaining the satellite photograph up on the screen in the conference room the next morning. "The national reconnaissance office tracked it to a maximum security facility in the Ural Mountains, where it flew multiple passes, deployed some kind of a biological weapon."

"The weapon Sark picked up in Spain?" Sydney inquired.

"Most likely." Dixon confirmed.

Sydney frowned. She stared down at her lap, trying to process the information. _I will never understand Sark. If he would just stay in one character he'd be easy, but in Spain he almost seemed concerned about me…but he's still the same evil terrorist…isn't he?_

"Echelon intercepts between the responding emergency teams indicate that the entire prison population…three hundred guards…five hundred prisoners…died within minutes." Dixon continued.

Lauren spoke up. "There were no survivors?"

"No, there was one." Weiss answered.

"One?" Sydney looked up quickly.

"Yea." Weiss nodded and Dixon pulled up a photo.

"Abasi Bomani." Lauren recognized him instantly.

"Right." Weiss confirmed her ID. "And as we all know, Bomani's become the largest arms dealer in Africa."

"When authorities realized a biological weapon had been deployed they called in the HAZMAT team to secure the facility." Dixon put up another photo of Bomani being led out of the facility by two men. He zoomed in on one of the men and Sydney sighed.

"Sark."

Weiss finished the details. "Bomani was last seen being escorted to a decontamination unit. That's all we know."

"How did Bomani survive?" Sydney asked.

Marshall proceeded to give a thorough explanation of how the biological weapon had been combined with Ebola and then altered with a genetic profile, which allowed the weapon to be used to kill everyone except for the person matching the genetic profile. Sydney spaced out for the more technical aspects of the process and she would have remained lost in her thoughts until Dixon spoke up again.

"Sydney, you'll accompany Lauren to Mexico to debrief Sloane on this Bomani situation."

Sydney tried not to let her emotion show, but Lauren didn't look any happier about the prospect of traveling to Mexico with Sydney. Lauren moved quickly to Vaughn's side and walked with him out of the conference room. Sydney prepared to leave alone, but Jack caught up to her.

"Sydney, tell me about Simon Walker." He whispered, leading her into a secluded corner of the office.

Sydney shrugged. "There's not much to tell."

"You obviously learned something from him when you went to his apartment, which I still think was insane…"

"I learned that he definitely knew me as Julia Thorne, and that we definitely had a relationship." She stated. "That's all."

"Do you think you could go back to him and get more information?"

"No." Sydney answered quickly.

"But he is the only connection we have to your missing two years! We can't squander this opportunity."

"Trust me. He won't tell me anything else. I doubt he'll even see me again." She had fixed her hair that morning so that it covered the bruise on the side of her head, now she pushed her hair away so he could see. "We didn't end on the best terms."

"Sydney!" Jack's face showed his concern.

"I'm fine. It looks worse than it is. But I think we'd better look into another link to my memories."

"Fine." He nodded. "I'll try some of my contacts. Maybe someone has heard of Julia Thorne."

"Thanks dad." She smiled at him. "Now I've got to get ready to go see Sloane, with Lauren." She grimaced. "This week just keeps getting better."

…………

"We're here to see Arvin Sloane." Lauren informed the clerk as she and Sydney arrived at the hotel where they were supposed to be meeting Sloane in Mexico City.

"Oh! Perfect timing, he's just arriving." She motioned outside where Sloane was approaching the building with a bodyguard in toe. He noticed the girls and acknowledged them with a wave.

Before he had reached the door a man exited and pulled out a gun, expertly shooting down Sloane's bodyguard. Lauren ducked automatically beside the counter, watching in frozen terror. Sydney watched, briefly uncertain what to do, but the next moment she saw a silver van pulling up behind Sloane and Sark jumped out. Then she leapt to action, running out the door, drawing her gun simultaneously. The man who had done the shooting shoved Sloane into the van, while Sark maintained his position beside the van, with his own gun drawn.

"Stop!" Sydney shouted instinctively, aiming her gun at the van. The shooter turned and aimed at her.

"Hold your fire!" Sark yelled and knocked the man's arm aside. "Get in and secure Sloane."

Sydney was momentarily stunned. Sark glanced at her and lowered his gun. His expression made her hesitate, only for a moment, but it gave Sark just enough time to jump back into the car and the driver sped away.

"Dammit." Sydney shot a few useless bullets at the departing van, but she was too late. "They're gone." She told Lauren as the blonde finally joined her outside. "We may as well head back to LA."

………

"You'll give this to the Covenant. It contains the corrupted copy of the operating system. The Covenant will track it back to the Chinese prototype, which has also been corrupted. They won't suspect that you've betrayed them." Sydney spoke to Sloane coldly, not caring to be alone with him in a limousine from which she couldn't escape his steady gaze. She turned to look out the window.

"I see." Sloane answered simply. His calmly self-assured voice grated her ears and she squeezed her eyes shut, hating that she had been assigned to the mission with him. "I wonder how many times your handler said something like that to you before you were about to give me something like this?" He persisted with the conversation. "A small object of tremendous value that I asked you to steal for SD-6 that you then rendered useless in order to prevent its exploitation by the Alliance."

"It happened on occasion." She remarked bitterly, still with her eyes fixed out the window at the dark Chinese highway they were speeding down.

"There was a time you trusted me…"

"That was before I knew who you were." Sydney snapped. "That was before I knew who I was…"

"Oh no, it was more recent than that." Sloane corrected her. "The day you were found in Hong Kong, your…resurrection, as it were…this letter arrived at my office."

Sydney turned her head slowly to see what he was talking about. He removed a letter from his inside jacket pocket and held it out to her. She took it hesitantly and inspected it, while he continued the explanation.

"My analyst confirmed what I recognized instantly, what I'm sure you'll verify on your own…the handwriting is yours."

Sydney's eyes widened as she did recognize her writing. She had addressed the envelope to Sloane. She opened the envelope nervously and found a smaller envelope inside that read: For Sydney. Opening that envelope she slipped out a small piece of paper and a key. The paper had a set of numbers on it.

"I'd never seen that code before." Sloane told her. "I didn't want to offer it to anyone else. Unfortunately, I couldn't decipher it myself. But since those items were once in your possession, I thought you might want them back."

Sydney could only stare at the items in her hand. _Why would I have sent this to Sloane of all people? What does the key go to? _

…………

"Dad?" The moment Sydney had boarded her jet that would take her back to LA, and she was away from Sloane, she called the only person she could think of who might have some sort of help for her.

"Are you alright? You sound upset."

"Yea, no I'm fine." She sighed. "Did you receive my transmission?"

"Yes. Sloane gave you a key, which he claims was sent to him some time before you woke up in Hong Kong."

"Yea, his claim was pretty convincing. It was writing in my handwriting."

"The cipher text as well?" He asked.

"Yes. Why?" She sensed something else in his question.

"Remember when I told you that during the time you were missing, I contacted your mother? That cipher text was encoded using a method that she devised."

"What does that mean?" Sydney gasped. "That I was in contact with mom during the two years I was gone?"

Jack sighed. "If that's true, she failed to mention it during our last communication."

"Can you break the code?" Sydney asked.

"Yes, I learned the code from your mother last year. It's an address in Rome." He paused and then gave it to her as though he were reading it. "1124 Piazza Barberini, the penthouse apartment. Does that mean anything to you?"

"No." Sydney was disappointed. She had hoped that whatever it was would spark some sort of memory for her.

"I had a local contact pull up the property record." Jack continued. "The apartment was purchased over a year ago. The buyer chose to remain anonymous." Sydney didn't reply and he could tell she was trying to figure it all out. "Get some rest. When you get back, you and I will go to Rome together."

"Okay." Sydney agreed with him on the phone, but as soon as she hung up she had changed her mind, realizing that she couldn't wait. She spoke with the pilot quickly and he obediently changed directions, heading to Rome.

_ A/N: I know this chapter was a little dull, but I'm really excited for the next one and even more so for the one after that! Sark is gradually returning to Syd's life, I just need it to go slow so it doesn't lose the reality of it. She can't just like jump right back into bed with him! He needs to earn her trust without her having her memories returned, so it won't be a quick process! Anyway, that's for all the reviews and for the patience! _


	45. Rome

When the plane landed, Sydney took a cab to the apartment address that her father had given her. When the cabbie dropped her off outside, Sydney took a second to analyze the outside of the building, hoping something would feel familiar. Nothing did, so she moved on.

"Miss Thorne!"

Sydney stopped in her tracks as the doorman greeted her with her strange alias. She smiled, wondering if she should know his name.

"You look nice." He told her with a charming smile. "Very different, but nice."

She remembered the accent that Sark had mentioned and responded to him in an English accent. "Thank you, I just needed a change."

"I haven't seen you in weeks, I wasn't sure if you were coming back."

Sydney shrugged. "I needed a vacation, but I couldn't stay away forever."

"Well, it is good to have you back. This place hasn't been the same without you." He waved her onto the elevator and she smiled.

_I like him_. _I must have known his name. We were probably pretty good friends. _

Sydney took the elevator up to the top floor. There were three doors on the floor. The one on the left matched the number she had. She fished the key from her jacket pocket and inserted it into the lock. It opened and she pushed on the door. Before she entered the apartment, however, she was stopped by a voice from behind her.

"Julia!"

Sydney spun around to see a young man exiting the elevator with a redhead on his arm. "Hi…" she didn't recognize him.

"Oh my god, I thought you were gone for good!" He rushed forward and threw his arms around her in a tight embrace.

"Hi…" Sydney was again unable to recognize someone who seemed to know her and it frustrated her to no end.

"I have missed you so much!" He hugged her for a moment longer before releasing her and beckoning forward the other girl. "This is Marie!" He introduced her. "We've been dating pretty seriously for a couple of weeks. Marie, this is Julia, the one I was telling you about."

"It's good to meet you." Marie smiled sweetly at Sydney. "Paul talks about you a lot." She touched the guy's shoulder and Sydney made a quick mental note of his name. "He's always telling stories of the mysterious English girl and all her extravagant comings and goings."

"Well, Paul does like to talk…" Sydney stated, wondering why she felt comfortable making assumptions.

Paul shrugged. "Are you going to stay around this time?"

"Perhaps." Sydney replied without conviction.

"Well, if you have the time tomorrow, I would love to catch up. We could go down to that café you like so much, for tea."

Sydney nodded. _Why does everyone think I like tea? _"We'll see."

"Good, I'll come round for you tomorrow at noon."

"She probably won't be in tomorrow."

Sydney gasped at the familiar voice speaking up behind her, coming from her own apartment. "Sark!" Sydney had been through a lot in the past few weeks, but somehow he seemed to keep showing up. "What are you doing here?"

"I was waiting for you." He answered calmly, as though being there was the most natural thing in the world. He offered a smile to Paul, which Sydney thought was very unusual for Sark. "Good to see you again Paul. Is this the girl you had a date with last time we saw you?"

Paul nodded. "She's the one."

Sark now offered her a smile. "She's lovely."

"I think so," Paul grasped Marie's hand.

"Thank you both." Marie blushed slightly. "You're both very sweet."

"So, where are you off to this time?" Paul inquired. "Paris? Scotland? Perhaps America or Australia?" He shrugged. "I never know with you two."

Sark laughed a little and placed his hand on Sydney's back. "Actually, tonight I believe we might stay in."

Sydney felt like screaming. She hated that everyone around her knew more about her life than she did. And she hated how comfortable Sark seemed to be with her. At the moment, however, what confused her most was that she didn't feel an urge to pull away from his touch.

"Ah, well don't let us keep you any longer." Paul ushered Marie to the door beside Sydney's and unlocked it. "Have a good night."

"You too!" Sark motioned Sydney into her apartment. As soon as he shut the door, his polite smile and composure faded. "Don't worry, I've debugged the place so we can talk freely."

"Why would this place be bugged?" Sydney glanced around the apartment, trying to find something that would spark her memory.

"Sydney, I don't have the energy to play this game with you." He moved into the kitchen and took a glass down from a cupboard as though he had done it many times before.

"Sark, I really wish I knew how to respond to anything I have experienced in the past month, but really it's as much of a puzzle to me as it is to you."

Sark took a deep breath with his back to her. He filled the glass with water from the sink before turning back to her. "I'm here because…I was concerned."

"So you keep saying." She walked into the bedroom and Sark slowly followed. "Sark, I have no memory of this place."

He watched her wander around the room, letting her fingers explore the surface of the bed, dresser, and shelves. Her eyes looked hopeless. He sucked in his breath, desperately wanting to touch her. He just wanted to hold her and comfort her and remind her of how happy they use to be together.

A tear leaked out of her eye, and she quickly wiped it away. "Sark, I need to know why you're here. Why do you act like you actually care at all about me?"

He considered her question for a moment and seriously considered telling her everything, but quickly changed his mind. Her phone rang and she glanced at the number ID before answering.

"Hi."

Sark watched her expression fade from the hopeless tears she'd been showing him, into a depressed scowl.

"I'm in Rome." She was saying on the phone. "I'll be home when I'm done here. No, Vaughn I don't feel the need to tell you what I'm doing here." She clicked off the phone and let out a deep breath.

Sark scrutinized her. "Trouble being home? I assume you are not getting along with Miss Reed?"

"How do you know her?"

"Well…" He didn't know what to say without speaking of their past. Instead he changed direction of the topic. "You are much prettier than she."

Sydney glanced at him curiously. Something felt strangely similar, like a freaky deja'vu. She cleared her throat. "Why won't you tell me what I need to know?"

"I thought you had Simon for that."

"No." Sydney answered quickly. "I don't have Simon. He's…well definitely not my type."

"I see." He nodded. "I heard you two weren't together actually. I heard that you had returned to LA."

"Sark, I still don't understand what you're doing here."

"I wanted to know if you were just acting. I had to know the truth, so I came here, hoping to find some sort of clue. Then you showed up and confirmed my suspicions."

"What do you mean…" Sydney still didn't know why he kept talking about her acting.

He hesitated briefly. "What do you feel when you think about me?"

"What do I feel?" Sydney laughed. "I feel confused and frustrated beyond words! Sark, thinking about you annoys me so much it makes me nauseous."

Sark held up a hand to stop her. "That's all I needed to hear. Thank you for making this so easy or me." He set the glass on the dresser and turned to leave. At the door he paused. "I won't bother you again. I wish you the best of luck with your memories." He opened the door and left without looking back.

_Even if she isn't acting, she doesn't care for me anymore. Whatever we had…it doesn't work now. I knew it wouldn't last forever. We both knew it. I just hadn't thought it would end quite like this. How can she not even remember me? _Sark punched the button for the lobby and rode the elevator down moodily. _She doesn't love me. But I will love her for as long as I live. _

……………

Sydney wasn't sure how long she had been asleep when a persistent knocking woke her. She sat up with a start and took a few moments to remember where she was and why she was sleeping in a strange bed. The knocking had progressively turned into pounding and Sydney gradually pulled herself out of bed and crossed through the bedroom and living room to the door.

"Who is it?" She called through the door using her English accent.

"Umm…is this Miss Julia Thorne's residence?"

Sydney hesitated. "Yes."

"May I please speak with you for a moment?" The male voice on the other side of the door pleaded.

She paused for a moment again and then opened the door. She gasped at who she saw. "Eric!"

"Hi Sydney."

"What are you doing here?"

"Can I come in?" Weiss asked.

She frowned. "Why are you here? How did you even know where I was?"

"Your dad. He told me he was worried about you and asked if I wouldn't mind coming to retrieve you." He stopped waiting for her to invite him in, and stepped past her into the apartment.

"I'm fine, but I appreciate your concern." Sydney shut the door and motioned him into the living room. "Would you like something to drink? Actually I think all I have is water."

"I'm not thirsty, thanks." He glanced around the apartment curiously. "Syd, what is this place?"

"This was my flat, I think during the past two years." She explained.

Weiss shook his head. "And so you just decided to come and live here?"

She shook her head. "I just wanted to see it. And then after Sark left, I was tired and decided to lie down. I hadn't meant to fall asleep." She glanced at the clock. "Especially not for nine hours."

Weiss had stopped on her previous sentence. "Sark! What the hell was he doing here? Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

"What?" Sydney frowned. "No, not at all."

"Sydney, you aren't being safe. You aren't being smart!"

"Smart?" Sydney glared. "That's not what this is about. Sark, and Simon Walker, and others, all know me as Julia Thorne."

Weiss frowned. He felt like he was forgetting something, but couldn't think of what. "Look Syd, I know how weird and terrifying all this must be for you, but I really think you need to come home with me now. We can figure all this out just as well in LA."

Sydney gave the apartment a brief scour with her eyes before nodded and smiling at Weiss. "Let's go home."


	46. Any Health Concerns?

"Sydney, I can't believe you went there after I distinctly told you to wait for me." Jack had his daughter cornered in the office the morning after she and Weiss had returned from Rome.

"I know dad, but you don't understand what I am dealing with!" She felt like crying, but realized that she had no more tears to cry. "Dad I am losing my mind!"

Jack sighed. "I have been discussing this with Arvin…"

"With Sloane?" Sydney repeated. "Why are you talking to him about this?"

"He was the one who gave you the key…there must have been a reason for you to have contacted him of all people." Jack silenced for a moment as a man passed their privacy. When they were alone again, he continued. "He has connections and he might be able to help."

"Well, can he?"

"Perhaps." He hesitated. "He knows somebody who can possibly help."

"How?"

"It's a professor who does experiments with memory retrieval through dream therapy."

"That doesn't sound particularly promising."

"But it's the only chance we've got. Are you willing to give it a try?"

Sydney hesitated briefly, but then nodded. "I'm willing to give anything a try if it could help me get back my memories."

"Good. Let's speak with Dixon about it right away and see if we can get him to approve time off work." Jack decided.

Sydney nodded silently and turned away from Jack, leaving the details to him. She had been heading toward the bathroom to cool her heated skin with water, when Weiss caught up to her.

"We need to talk."

Sydney shook her head. "Not right now."

"I'm serious Syd." Weiss told her. "Things are starting to get way out of hand."

"No it's not. I can handle myself." She insisted. Her legs were feeling a little weak though and she wavered slightly.

"Sydney, how long do you think you can get away with wearing loose shirts and jackets?" He motioned to her stomach. "You are almost four months pregnant! Eventually people are going to notice."

"Speaking of which, I need to go…" She pointed to the bathroom and he nodded understandingly.

"But this isn't the end of our conversation."

Sydney nodded and rushed to the bathroom, feeling overwhelmingly nauseas.

………

"Sydney, I heard you took the lead that I delivered to you."

"Yes," Sydney answered Sloane curtly as he sat across from her on the private jet Dixon had provided them for their venture to New Haven.

"Tell me, was that successful for you?" He pressed.

Sydney glanced behind her where Vaughn was sitting. Dixon had insisted that Vaughn go with them to provide extra security. Jack had tried finding a way around it, but Dixon wouldn't hear of it.

"I found an apartment that I had leased as Julia Thorne." She paused for a moment. "Nothing beyond that."

"Oh? Nothing? Nobody who recognized you or who was waiting for you?" He lifted an eyebrow.

Sydney gasped. "You sent Sark there! You knew what the key went to and you told him I'd be going here…" She shook her head. "Why?"

Sloane folded his hands and sat back in his chair. "He asked."

Vaughn had moved to join their conversation. "You were alone with Sark last night?"

Sydney glanced at him sharply. "No, we were not together. He was there and then he left."

"Sydney, you should have called us immediately and we would have arrested him." Vaughn reprimanded her.

"He wasn't doing any harm." Sydney wasn't sure why she was defending him but she didn't like Vaughn's tone.

"But he was there! He could have hurt you!"

"But he didn't." Sydney was almost yelling. Jack emerged from the pilot's cabin where he had been giving direction. He caught the end of Sydney's shouting and scowled at her rage.

"We'll be landing in ten minutes." He sat beside Sydney, dividing her and Vaughn. "This shouldn't take more than a couple hours and then we'll hopefully know where you have been."

Sydney nodded and leaned her head against the window. _I know where I've been. I've been in Rome and Spain…I need to know what I've been doing and who I've been with._

When they landed, a car was waiting to drive them to the location Sloane had told them about. It was a shabby looking warehouse from the outside and the desolate appearance worried Sydney.

Jack knocked on the door and when it opened, Sydney's apprehension doubled. A red-haired girl greeted them with a beaming smile, wearing only a man's blue dress shirt. Her green eyes shone as she rocked on her toes and waited for them to speak.

Nobody seemed quite sure of what to say. Jack took initiative. "Dr. Brezel's expecting us." He observed the girl's appearance curiously. "This is where he works?

Her face lit up with a wide smile and her eyes widened dreamily. "Wow. Say something else."

He hesitated. "May we come in?"

The girl shut her eyes briefly, still rocking on her toes, and then turned. "Professor!" She frolicked across the warehouse floor, leaving them at the door. "There are some beautiful people here!" She called out in an excited voice.

The professor appeared, hastily pulling on a shirt as he moved to the door. "Uh, I was thinking just now. I wasn't expecting you until Tuesday, and…" He glanced at Vaughn. "Uh hi. And then I realized that it is, It's Tuesday, and uh…" He glanced at Sydney and shook her hand briefly. "You've come to me at a really awkward time. I'm not nearly finished so I can't promise you anything."

Jack frowned. "Still, your research in memory retrieval sounds quite promising." Everyone was beginning to feel nervous about this experience.

The professor grinned. "Oh, yea, well that's, that's really a trip."

The redhead, who had come to the professor's side, suddenly interrupted. "Oh, can I…" She leaned up and whispered in his ear. "Do you mind if I…"

The professor smiled. "Oh, she, she likes to hug, if you…" He motioned to her. "This is Kaya. She's one of my students. Capable, but she's…" He slipped his arm around her waste. "All about hugging." She hugged him warmly. "All about hugging. You know, I'm starving. Anyone else?" He turned back into the warehouse, motioning for the others to follow him.

Vaughn was the first to speak what everyone else was feeling. "Okay, you have got to be kidding me."

Sydney nodded. "I can't do this."

"Look, we're not here because we have other options!" Jack reminded them sharply. He led the way into the warehouse and the other three followed.

When they had all been seated on a variety of mismatched couches and armchairs, and the professor had fixed himself some form of soy 'bacon', he began the explanation process.

"I don't know anything about you except that I'm not supposed to know anything about you." He stated calmly. He didn't seem at all offended that they hadn't told him anything, but stated it more as a simple fact.

Jack nodded. "Suffice to say that there are people under the impression that my daughter as committed a crime. Her memories are the only things that can exonerate her."

"I see." The professor nodded. 'So there's pressure, pressure that the therapy should work, umm, real stakes."

"How does the therapy work?" Sydney asked quickly.

The redhead beamed at her professor. "Tell them how you got the idea. But not the long version."

And so the professor began the explanation of how he had invented a process of dream therapy to pull up memories that people have forgotten or purposefully suppressed. The entire technique sounded almost too simply, and Sydney wondered if it would work, but he seemed confident, and she agreed with her father that they had no other options. When he finished he was smiling.

Sydney had been through more torture and terror in her short life than many ever do, but as she thought about what she was preparing to say, she realized it was the most terrifying moment of her life. Her stomach felt tight and her throat felt dry, but she had no choice, as the professor's next question assured her.

"Now, before we get started, do you have any health concerns I should be aware of?"

"No, she's in perfect condition." Jack answered for her.

Sydney's hands trembled as she brushed her hair out of her face. "Actually, there is something…"

She felt all eyes on her as they waited for her answer. She desperately wished there could have been another way for the truth to be told, but she couldn't avoid it.

"I'm pregnant."

The silence that followed was even more frightening than Sydney's anxiety over saying it in the first place. She glanced around the room at the faces of her companions. Her father's normal composure strangely hadn't changed. Vaughn's entire face seemed to melt into one worried scowl. His deep brown eyes expressed everything he was clearly wanting to say: confusion, pain, anger, sadness, concern…she had to look away from him. Her eyes drifted to Sloane and she paused. His face was to calm. His eyes showed no surprise or concern. She wondered if he wasn't alarmed by the news at all.

"Somebody please say something." Sydney broke the silence.

"You're…pregnant." Jack's statement alluded to a question, but he seemed determined to be composed in confronting his daughter's announcement.

"Yes, I am."

"Weiss." Vaughn almost seemed to growl out his best friend's name.

"What?" Sydney questioned quickly.

"Is it his?" Vaughn expanded his question.

Sydney was momentarily too confused to respond. When she finally was able to process his inquiry she took a glance around the room and realized everyone seemed to be curious about Vaughn's accusation. "No!" She spat out. "Eric and I never…" She shook her head furiously. "I have never slept with Eric!"

Jack tried his best not to cover his ears as his daughter discussed the particulars of her sex life.

"How the hell could you think it was his baby?"

"You two are neighbors and he seems to spent every spare minute with you…" Vaughn stumbled through his defense. "And you two seemed pretty cozy in Spain…"

"Oh my god, Vaughn stop!" Sydney dropped her face in her hands, wishing he had kept his opinion to himself. "Weiss is not the father."

Jack cleared his throat, finally brave enough to speak. "Who is?"

Sydney was silent, but Sloane didn't seem hesitant to reply. "You don't know, do you?"

She shook her head slowly.

"Oh god…" Vaughn muttered.

Jack again cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Are there that many possibilities?"

Sydney's eyes widened when she realized what he was implying. "Is that seriously what you all think of me?" She stood suddenly. "Thanks for your confidence." She unfastened the loose jacket she was wearing and lifted up her shirt, turning so everyone could have a view of her very round stomach. "I'm over four months along."

"But that would mean…" Jack quickly calculated the months.

"When I presumed you didn't know Sydney, I was suggesting you could not remember." Sloane assured her.

She nodded. She had understood his meaning. "Weiss, has been with me so often because he knew. He learned six weeks ago when I took the test."

"How could you not have told us?" Vaughn demanded.

"I didn't know how they would react…"

Jack thought silently for a minute. "Simon Walker."

Sydney shrugged. "Perhaps. That's what I'm here to find out." She turned to the professor. "Is this going to be a problem?"

The professor shook his head. "It shouldn't be, though it is good you said something because now we'll watch vitals for mommy and baby." He gave a quirky grin and motioned to his young student. "Kaya will show you where to change."

The girl jumped up and held her hand out to Sydney. "Come with me." Her smile was strangely reassuring and Sydney took her hand, letting her lead her to a changing room.

_A/N: I couldn't get a clear vote on who should be told about the pregnancy, but Jack, Sloane, and Vaughn, were the most voted for so I decided to do it all at once. _

_Okay, so I put quite a bit of dialogue from the show in this time, but mainly I just love this scene with the professor. I think he's awesome. Plus I've realized that quite of few of my readers haven't actually seen all of the 3rd season, so this was something I thought needed to be touched on. _

_What Sydney saw in her 'dream' I'm not going to elaborate on in the story. All you need to know is that nothing solid was discovered, but she did find a reason to contact Will Tippin. He is currently in witness protection, and so after leaving the professor's she had to go and contact him, pulling him out of the witness protection. _

_The next update will pick up after they meet up. He was hesitant at first to believe she was real because he had thought she was dead, but she proves it to him and he agrees to help her. A name that she repeatedly saw in her 'dream' was "St. Aidan" which she discovers from Will, was one of his old contacts for the paper. So their mission is to contact St. Aidan. _


	47. St Aidan

"How're you holding up, Syd?"

Even over the phone Sydney could sense the worry in Weiss's voice. "Yea, I'm fine. It's been weird though." She laughed a little. "You should have seen how he reacted. He pulled a gun on me." She smiled at the memory. "I was so proud."

"A gun?" Weiss didn't understand the humor. "Are you okay?"

"Of course."

"Have you told him yet?"

"No." She heard the door open. "He's back, I'll talk to you later." She hung up and turned to greet him with a grin. "Hey Will!"

Sydney's best friend grinned at her as he closed the door of the hotel room and approached her. "I've made contact with St. Aidan." He told her. "One hour."

"That sounds good." Sydney smiled at him. The most rewarding aspect of the dream therapy was that it had given her a reason to contact Will and temporarily pull him out of his witness protection identity.

"So, what will we do until then?"

Sydney perched on the bed, tugging at the baggy sweatshirt she was wearing. "Will, I'm pregnant."

He sat beside her, placing his arm around her shoulders. "I know. Your dad told me. He thought I might need to know."

She sighed. "Good. I'm glad he told you. It makes it easier for me."

"I'm not going to bring it up again unless you want me to." He told her.

"Thank you." She kissed his cheek. "You're my best friend. You do know that right?"

He nodded and returned the friendly peck. "Come on, let's go find some coffee before our meeting.

Sydney stood. "I'm just going to change first."

"You don't' have to wear baggy clothes. You're going to be a mother! You should be proud."

"Until I know the father is someone I can be proud of, I can't be proud as a mother." She told him. "Now, we aren't talking about that, remember."

"Right, not another word."

……….

Sydney hated waiting. Especially when it was cold and dark and she was putting her best friend's life at risk. She peeked her head out around the stack of boxes she was hiding behind.

"Is he always this late?" She spoke into the communication piece she was using to stay in contact with Will while he waited in the open for his contact to arrive.

"We just might have gotten blown off…" Will had his hands stuffed deep in the pockets of his jacket. She could tell he was cold.

Sydney glanced at her watch and sighed.

"Mr. Tippin…"

She glanced up when she heard a thick Russian accent coming in through the mic she had put on Will. She watched through a small telescope so she could stay hidden. Will faced his contact, St. Aidan. Sydney maneuvered the telescope so she could see the man approaching. He wad older, with white hair. His hand was bandaged.

"What happened to your hand?" Will asked instantly.

St. Aidan was still walking towards Will, mostly hidden by shadows. "Another time perhaps." He chuckled softly. The man finally stepped the dim light offered by the full moon and Sydney gasped, recognizing him instantly from the video surveillance her dad had shown her.

_Oh my god…it's Lazarey. _She had never expected that Will's contact would be a man she had supposedly killed.

"It's good to see you again. I wasn't sure you'd come." Will was saying.

"I would not have come at all…except…" He seemed hesitant to say it. "Money is something I could use." The expression on his face was gentle, but desperate. Sydney was overwhelmed with curiosity.

"Well, uh, we'll see what we can do about that." Will fumbled. "You should know I've been given code-six clearance." He said what he and Sydney had rehearsed before the meeting. "And I need to know about the Covenant."

Lazarey's expression changed. He seemed surprised, and a little nervous. "Why are you asking me about the Covenant?"

"I thought that you would…" Will wasn't sure what to say.

"How do you think I even know anything about them?" Lazarey cut him off.

"Well…well obviously you know something!"

"I cannot talk about Covenant." He insisted firmly. He turned and started to walk away.

"Wait a minute!" Will called after him. "Excuse me! Lives are at stake…"

Lazarey stopped briefly, but still seemed eager to leave. "Yes they are." He confirmed. "We have nothing further to discuss."

Sydney spoke to Will quickly. "Tell him Julia Thorne sent you."

Will repeated it obediently. "Julia Thorne sent me."

Lazarey stopped instantly. He turned back to face Will. "No…I don't believe you." He started walking again, this time a bit more quickly.

Sydney was frantic. "Yell out the name Lazarey!"

"Lazarey!" Will called it out to him and he stopped.

He didn't turn around yet though.

"Tell him Julia told you his name, that she needs to see him. That she trusts him, but she's in danger…" Sydney was speaking hurriedly.

Will repeated all that she told him and Lazarey slowly started back to him. His face looked terrified, but he was listening now as though he believed Will.

"Did they find it?" He asked suddenly.

Will frowned.

"I don't know what he's talking about…" Sydney told Will.

"Have they been to Gratz?" Lazarey expanded.

Will still frowned.

"I need to know if…" Lazarey sounded desperate, but before he had time to continue, the screeching of car tires cut them off. A car drove into view and the door opened. Sark leapt out. He pulled a gun and took hold of Lazarey.

Sydney ran from her hiding place, no longer caring who saw her. Will was the only thought on her mind. "Sark!" Sark froze when he saw Sydney emerging from her hiding place.

Lazarey spotted her and his eyes widened. "Sydney!"

Sark and Sydney both froze to hear him calling out her name.

"Sark, let him go!" Sydney drew her gun and aimed for the blonde.

Lazarey held up his hands. "No Sydney. Let me go with him. He will not hurt me."

Sark frowned at Lazarey but nodded confidently to Sydney. He put his own gun way and stepped toward Sydney, holding his hands up peacefully.

"I will keep him as safe as I can, Sydney, but you can't fight me on this." He glanced at Will who was clenching his fists at his sides and standing a safe distance from the man who had once tortured him severely.

"I'm not sure what the hell you're playing at, but I won't…"

"Sydney, don't argue!" He snapped. "I got here first to warn you, but the Covenant has others coming. They will be here very soon." He nodded to Will. "You need to get him out of here before the safety of you both is jeopardized."

"Do as he says Sydney. My son and I have much to catch up on." Lazarey spoke up suddenly.

Sark stared at his father blankly. Sydney wanted to protest but the sound of cars approaching in the distance discouraged her argument and she relented.

"Will, come on." She took his hand and started leading him away. She paused and glanced at Sark. "One day I will remember."

"I'm hoping you do." He directed his father into his car while Sydney and Will hurried to her car.

"Okay, are you going to explain that?" Will inquired once they were driving safely back to their hotel.

Sydney sighed. "I wish I knew."

"How could you civil to him? Why didn't you stop him? Or shoot him?" Will demanded.

She didn't know what to say. He had every right to be confused. "Will, Sark refuses to tell me what happened to me or my memories, but I'm positive he knows." She gripped the steering wheel tightly. "Regardless though, he has been unusually nice to me lately."

"I don't trust him."

"Well, I never said I did either." _But I'm starting to. He's had so many opportunities to betray me, but all he's done is help me. _"Don't worry, I'm being careful."

………

"How long have you known I was your son?" Sark questioned his father when they were in the car driving to the location the Covenant had set up their meeting place.

"Julian, a father doesn't forget his own son." Lazarey answered curtly.

"You were hardly a father."

Lazarey cleared his throat. "True. I learned you were involved with Julia Thorne when she confessed everything to me." He explained. "She told me who she really was and that she was dating my son…"

"That was a very fleeting time for her." Sark murmured bitterly. "She has completely forgotten it now."

"Yes." Lazarey agreed. "She has forgotten everything that happened while she was employed by the Covenant."

"She told me as much, but I…"

"You doubted her sincerity." Lazarey finished his son's thought. "I assure you, she has not lied to you, about any of it."

Sark stared firmly at the road, trying to put together what he was hearing. "Do you know how?"

"Yes."

"Tell me."

"Where do your loyalties lie? Have you changed your mind since thinking that Sydney had lied to you?" Lazarey questioned. "Are your loyalties with the Covenant or with Sydney?"

"As much as I wanted to hate her, I knew the entire time that what Sydney and I had was real." He glanced briefly at his father and then back at the road. "I am loyal to Sydney. I always will be."

"I thought so. Then don't give up on her."

"She hates me."

"She doesn't know you." Lazarey corrected. "Her memories were taken from her."

"Taken?" Sark repeated.

"Yes, by the man who was betraying her the whole time."

"From the CIA, correct? I managed to learn that much before I was arrested." He recalled. "Kendall told me she had been playing me the entire time and had given me up, finally."

"Kendall was the mole."

Sark's foot slipped and he had to quickly recover control of his driving. "I should have put that together." He shook his head. "How could I have behaved so idiotically?"

"You had no reason to suspect anything foul where he was concerned." Lazarey attempted to reassure him. "Even Sydney trusted him until I gave her reason not to."

"What reason?"

"He was meeting with Alison Doren. They are the reason Sydney started doubting you."

"I see." Sark pulled off the main road. "We're almost there. I should warn you, the Covenant wants me to torture you for information about the Rambaldi cube."

"Sydney hid it."

"But I assume you know where."

"Perhaps."

"I can't make it look too easy. But I'll try not to be too hard on you." He pulled into the dark vacant parking lot of a warehouse. "After a little while give me some information. Anything. Make up something. I don't care."

"Hotel Verlutzet in Gratz." He said suddenly.

"I'm sorry?"

"There is a secure vault system there and that is where Sydney hid the cube." Lazarey told him easily. "We agreed on that the last time I saw her. I am telling you this because I am confident that you would never betray Sydney."

Sark was momentarily too stunned to respond. "I appreciate your trust."

"I trust you because she does, or she did and I'm certain she will again." Lazarey explained. "She and I had a friendship as well as a partnership, Julian. Sydney confided in me."

"What did she tell you?" Sark inquired. The hopelessness in his voice showed how much he still cared for her.

"She is in love with you."

"She was in love with me." He corrected.

"Sydney did not relinquish her memories voluntarily." Lazarey confessed finally. "She was wanting to be with you, but then you were gone. You had disappeared."

"I was arrested." He spat.

"She had no knowledge of that fact."

"Are you certain?" Sark parked the car and turned fully to face his father. "Sydney didn't give Kendall my address?"

"No, she was ignorant of that entire situation."

"How did she lose her memories?" Sark questioned, finding himself gradually more inclined to believe everything Sydney had told him.

Lazarey began to reply, but Covenant agents approaching the car interrupted them. Sark spoke quickly to his dad.

"I have a plan, but you will have to trust me."

Lazarey nodded and Sark got out of the car, coming around to pull Lazarey out. He made a show of being rough and indifferent towards the prisoner.

"Take him inside."


	48. The Letter

"I hate that you have to leave again." Sydney whined to Will as he packed up his suitcase.

"I know Syd, me too." Will paused briefly and smiled at her. "But you can come and visit me sometime."

"You know, you don't have to go back." Sydney considered. "The people who hurt you before aren't a threat anymore."

"You mean Sark?"

Sydney hesitated. "Not Sark particularly, I don't think he's dangerous…"

"Sydney he tortured me."

"But he was just following orders."

"How do you know that?"

Sydney thought about it for a moment. "I don't know. I just do." She frowned; a glimpse of a conversation seemed to enter her mind, but she pushed it out. It couldn't be possible. "I need to make a phone call. I'll be right back."

Will watched her head out of the room and called after her. "Syd, for the record, I'm glad you came to get me."

"Yea?" Sydney smiled, slightly doubtful. "Even though it was for purely selfish reasons and I jeopardized your life."

He grinned. "I've been through worse."

"Thanks for saying it." She blew him a kiss and left the room. She slipped outside so she wouldn't be overheard by Will, and pulled out her cell phone. She dialed her dad and he answered on the second ring. "Dad, I need to go to Gratz."

"We discussed this. Dixon is going to put a team together and take care of Gratz."

"No, I need to do it on my own. Lazarey seemed adamant about the urgency, and I feel that I need to go." She persisted. "Before you argue, I know you're concerned about me being pregnant, but I know when I've had too much. I will be fine, but I will go alone."

"Alone?" Jack knew he was losing.

"Yes." She hung up before he could fight."

"Not alone."

Sydney turned when she heard Will speak. She didn't know how he had managed to sneak up on her. "What?"

"You're not going alone." He repeated. "I'm going with you."

"Will, you can't. You're not trained."

"And your four months pregnant and losing the ability to cover it." He reminded her.

She placed her hand on her stomach and sighed. "Fine, partner."

………

"The operation in Gratz was successful." Sydney spoke into the speakerphone. "We recovered a strange box thing. We're on our way back to LA now."

"And when you arrive, you will be sending Will back to his own life?" Jack clarified.

Sydney glanced across at Will who looked disappointed at the though. "Yea, he'll be going back."

"I will see you soon, sweetheart." He paused. "Try to get some rest."

"I'm fine dad." She smiled at his concern. "Thanks." She hung up and gazed out the window.

"Why didn't you tell him everything?"

"I only told him half of what we found." Will argued.

"He didn't need to know about the ring." She pulled the small velvet box out of her pocket and opened it slowly. The diamonds and sapphires sparkled up at her and her lips turned up in a pleased smile. Opening the ring box felt familiar. She had seen the ring before. She touched the delicate stones and lifted the ring from the box. She slipped it on her finger and admired its flawless beauty. She closed her eyes tightly, forcing herself into silence, trying to remember something.

_"It's a perfect fit…" _

Sydney squeezed her eyes tighter, trying to remember more of the conversation. She felt the memory of the sensation of lips being pressed against her ring finger. She couldn't see a face to match the man who was kissing her.

"_You know I can't keep it on when we return to Rome…" _

Sydney hated the brief flashes she was having. They didn't make any sense. _Was I engaged to somebody? _She placed her hand on her stomach. _At least it would mean that the baby was created in love…_She forced her thoughts to stop.

"Will, I am going to come and take a week to stay with you, once everything is resolved and calmed down." She told him suddenly.

"What are you going to do in the meantime?" Will questioned.

"Keep on working I guess." Her cell phone rang and she answered it without checking the ID. "Hello?"

"Sydney, it's Andrian Lazarey." The caller spoke.

"Lazarey…" Sydney gasped. "How did you escape?"

"Julian gave me a drug so the covenant would think I had died. Then he snuck my body out and revived me." He explained quickly. "I must stay out of sight for a few weeks so they don't expect Julian for helping me." He paused. "Just like before when you supposedly killed me. Interesting how I keep finding myself in these situations."

Sydney considered his words. "Yes, just like before. Lazarey I have things I need to discuss with you…questions that I think you can answer for me…"

"I do want to help you, but now I do not have the time." He hesitated. "You need to trust him Sydney. He is the only one who can help you now."

"Why? How can he help?" Sydney didn't even have to ask who he was referring to."

"I know what he has done in his past, but you can trust him. He is on our side."

"How do I know you and I are on the same side?" Sydney retorted, a little too hastily.

"You don't." He paused again. "There will be a letter waiting for you when you return to LA. It will explain everything that I know of how you lost your memories. It won't be easy for you to accept at first, but I give you my word that it is the absolute truth."

"Thank you."

"Be careful Sydney. Be careful in whom you trust." He hung up without another word, leaving Sydney with her confusion.

"It's so good to see you." Weiss was waiting on Sydney's doorstep when the car pulled up at her house.

"Hi!" She hurried up to the house and fell into his hug.

"I hope you don't mind me being here. I wasn't sure if you would want to be alone or not…"

"No, I'm glad to see you. I just said goodbye to Will. I could use a friend." She unlocked the door and pushed it open. An envelope on the floor caught her eye.

"Actually Weiss, I'm having a craving!" She grabbed his arm, spinning him around before he could notice the letter.

"A craving?" Weiss repeated.

"Yes!" She held her stomach for emphasis.

"What are you craving?" He asked, giving into her pleading eyes.

"Tacos…" She smiled. "And a milkshake."

"Okay." Weiss seemed hesitant about her selection. "I can go and pick it up for you will you unpack."

"Thanks!" Sydney waited for him to leave before shutting the door and investigating her letter. As she had expected, it was from Lazarey. Making herself comfortable on the couch she opened it eagerly.

"_My dear Sydney,_

"_This following account details all of my experiences with you during your work for the covenant." _

Sydney stopped. _I was working with the covenant? That's not possible. _She continued the letter anxiously.

"_When we first met, you had come to me to warn me that the covenant had directed you to murder me. You gave me a proposition to instead help you on your Rambaldi quest. I accepted and the next day we staged my death so I could live in secrecy, all the while working together with you. _

_After many months, we discovered what we were searching for. It was a cube containing Rambaldi's DNA. When we learned what the Covenant intended to do with the DNA, you soon after told me that you were in fact an American agent and not Julia Thorne. Soon after that we learned through Arvin Sloane, that there was a mole within the CIA, and the covenant was not fooled in the least by your supposed transformation. Not long after that my son, Julian Sark, was arrested. You and I decided it would be safest to hide the cube. We chose Gratz, and you left immediately to take care of it. That was the last I saw you, until three days ago._

_From what I have learned since then, your memories were erased purposefully, but not by your choice. I have a suspicion that the person who took your memories is the same person who had been deceiving you: the CIA mole."_

The phone rang, interrupting Sydney's reading. She checked the ID and answered it promptly. "Hi dad."

Sydney picked up the urgency in his tone. "What's wrong?"

"There is a debriefing in fifteen minutes. Be here." He hung up the phone.

She knew that she should leave immediately to make it on time, but she desperately wanted to finish the letter. She debated very briefly before giving into her urge, and continued the letter.

"_I am aware of who the mole is, as are you, or you were at least prior to the loss of memory. Due to the fact that this letter could fall into the wrong hands, I am not comfortable giving you the identity through writing. My advice is that you contact Julian. You must understand that I am aware of your history with him; you confided much in me over the past few months. Believe me now when I tell you that he is a man of his word and someone you can trust." _

The door opened. "Syd, did you get the call?" Weiss called to her.

"Yea, I was just waiting for you to get back." She replied hurrying to complete the letter.

"_Contact Julian, and trust him to help you. Don't, however, pressure him for answers that aren't relative to your future and your government's mission. He will not discuss unnecessary things with you._

_I remain your true and loyal friend and partner, _

_Andrian Lazarey_

"Syd, are you ready?"

"Yes!" Sydney refolded the letter quickly and stuffed it beneath the sofa cushion. "Let's go!" she stood and followed him to the door.

"Here's your milkshake." He handed it to her as they walked out to his car. "I'm sorry, but after I got the call I didn't have time to get the tacos."

"That's good, because tacos sound nauseating now." She smiled. "But the milkshake is perfect."


	49. I want to

"Dad what's going on?" Sydney questioned the moment she and Weiss had arrived at headquarters. "I was hoping I would have a night off."

"Aren't you feeling well?" Jack asked instinctively.

"I'm feeling fine." She insisted. "But it's just been a long couple of days and I'm a little tired." She offered him a reassuring smile. "Nothing a little caffeine won't fix."

"Good. Dixon needs us in debriefing." Jack informed her. He flagged down an office assistant. "Could you have some coffee delivered to the conference room please?"

"Yes Agent Bristow." He ran off to do his bidding.

Weiss led the group into the conference room where Dixon and the others were already gathering. Sydney felt someone watching her. When she glanced over her shoulder, she saw Lauren's brown eyes on her. Sydney's instinct was to glare, but Lauren offered her a soft smile, so Sydney felt obligated to return it. It didn't stop there though. Lauren moved over to Sydney as she sat and chose the seat next to her.

"I have heard about your…situation." Lauren spoke softly. Her voice had the allusion of sympathy, but Sydney doubted her sincerity.

"Oh?"

"I am so sorry for you." She said. "If there is anything I can do for you…if you need anything. I am not sure if you have many female friends, but if you ever need a woman's counsel…"

"Thank you." Sydney forced herself to be courteous, but she sensed that Lauren's friendliness only developed because she felt Sydney's scandalous pregnancy had finally put negative thoughts in Vaughn's head regarding his precious Sydney.

"Alright, I've called everyone here because forty minutes ago we received confirmation that the Rambaldi cube Agent Bristow picked up in Gratz was stolen."

"Stolen?" Sydney burst. "How is that possible? I dropped it off here less than four hours ago!"

"Yes, and two hours ago the Department of Special Research came to pick it up." He explained. "They were in transit for one hour when they were ambushed and the cube was stolen."

"Was anyone injured?" Weiss questioned.

"Yes. Two were killed, and one is in critical condition." Dixon responded solemnly.

"Who ordered the transfer of the cube?" Sydney asked.

"Ex-director Kendall."

Sydney frowned. She hadn't heard of Kendall since before she disappeared, when he was still heading up the office, but for some reason the mention of him felt familiar. "Kendall? What does he have to do with any of this?"

"He works with the DSR."

"I see."

"Fortunately for us, we had Marshall place a tracer on it before they took it out, so we will be able to locate it when it's stationary."

"Good. And then we'll go and retrieve it." Sydney summed up what Dixon was getting at.

"Yes. Everyone please stay around the office and I will alert you when we have a location."

Sydney's cell phone vibrated against her hip and she slipped it out of her pocket to check the ID. She only took a moment to recognize the number; she had memorized it weeks ago. Unfortunately, she couldn't answer it at that moment.

"Are we excused for the time being?" Sydney asked, as casually as possible.

"Yes." Dixon confirmed and Sydney evacuated the room swiftly.

She sought privacy in the bathroom, and after checking all the stalls she returned her phone call.

"I thought you might have been ignoring me." The voice answered on the first ring.

Sydney couldn't explain why his voice brought her such strange comfort. "I _was_ ignoring you. I was in a debriefing. An artifact was stolen from DSR custody, but you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

"Actually, I would, which is precisely why I called you."

"Sark, what do you want from me?" Sydney demanded.

"I am trying to help you." He insisted. "I am working for the covenant, though they are watching me closely because of before."

"Before?" Sydney wanted to know more, but she couldn't take time for that yet. "Never mind, why are you calling me?"

"The cube is being taken to a laboratory in Patagonia. I am overseeing the operation."

"Is that supposed to relieve me?"

"No. If you want to come to Patagonia now, I would understand, but the covenant will assume I told you and most likely have me killed."

Sydney took a moment to consider. "The covenant won't know we had this conversation. We have a tracer on the cube. We would have had the location without you."

"I see…" He sounded uncertain.

"I, umm, I appreciate the call though."

"Really?" The excitement in his voice seemed strange coming from him, but again something felt familiar.

"Well, if you're in Patagonia, I suppose I'll be seeing you soon." She hesitated. "Sark…"

"What?"

"I had a letter from Lazarey." She wasn't quite sure what to say about it. "I don't think I could explain why, but I think I need to trust you…"

"You need to?"

"I _want_ to trust you." She corrected herself. He was silent and for a minute she thought he had hung up on her. "Sark? Are you still there?"

"Yes, Sydney."

Hearing him say her name gave her an incredible feeling; she couldn't describe it. _I can't think about that right now. _"Did you hear what I just said?"

"Yes, Sydney."

"Stop that."

"Stop what?"

"Stop saying my name like that."

"My apologies, Agent Bristow." He spoke calmly. "I hadn't realized I was saying it in any strange way."

"You weren't…" Sydney hesitated. "I'm sorry…it's been a strange few days." She laughed slightly. "No, it's been a strange few weeks."

"Of course."

"Do you believe that I have lost my memories, yet?"

"Does it matter?"

"It matters to me."

"The fact that I'm even talking to you should answer that question for you."

Sydney thought to the last time she had seen him and her mind flooded with guilt. "Sark…at the apartment I said some things…"

"Don't worry about it." He cut her off.

"But I need to apologize…"

"No, you don't." He insisted. "I understand how confused you must be feeling. I don't hold anything you have said against you. I haven't exactly been perfectly gracious either."

"Yes you have though." Sydney argued. "You've been nothing but perfect to me, except for not telling me anything you know about the past two years…"

"I don't think you would appreciate having everything sprung on you so casually. Some things take time to comprehend." Sark explained.

"Lazarey told me in the letter that I should contact you and that you would fill me in on some things that he had left out." She paused. "He told me there was a mole within the CIA and you could tell me who it was."

"I can." Sark felt confident in the information his father had given him. "But not over the phone."

"Of course." Sydney wasn't sure if she was about to suggest the right thing or not, but it was the only idea she had. "How can I meet you?"

"Come to Patagonia…" Sark started to formulate a plan. "You will have to use force to overtake the factory, but I won't be there. When you're leaving, find an excuse to separate from everyone else and I'll be waiting for you."

"Won't that seem suspicious?"

"They'll think you were taken hostage." Sark stated. "The blame will be put on me and no one will suspect you of anything."

"Okay." Sydney accepted the plan without question. "Sark I…" The bathroom door opened and her privacy was interrupted. "Thank you again for calling me! You don't know how good it is to hear that you're back safe again."

"You're not alone anymore are you?" Sark asked knowingly.

"No…" Sydney answered him, but she put a smile on her face to fool the unwanted intruder. "I'm not going to be able to come visit you for a while, but as soon as I have time I'll sneak away for a while."

"I will be waiting for you." Sark clicked off the phone.

Sydney quickly ended the fake conversation. "I miss you too. Goodbye!" She hung up her phone and waited for the blonde woman to speak.

"I couldn't help but notice how quickly you left the debriefing room. I was wondering if anything was wrong." Lauren approached Sydney slowly. "Are you alright?"

"Yes thank you, I'm fine." Sydney assured her expertly. "I was just talking to my friend Will. He is back in witness protection now and just wanted to let me know he'd made it okay."

"I see." Lauren smiled. "I'm glad your friend is okay."

"Thank you." Sydney headed for the door, not wanting to be alone with Lauren any longer than absolutely necessary. The friendly act that Lauren persisted in performing was driving Sydney insane. She had no desire to make friends with Vaughn's wife.

_I don't know why it bothers me so much. _Sydney considered the situation as she headed down the hall towards her desk. _I haven't even thought about Vaughn romantically since I've been back. It's strange, but as irritating as Lauren is and as much as I dislike the marriage, I can't exactly say it's because of my feelings for Vaughn. _She hadn't yet consciously made this realization and it surprised her to be thinking it now. _I don't love him anymore. I wonder when that stopped…_


	50. Secret Meeting

_A/N: The reviews are always so encouraging! Thank you so much to all my fans, I'm glad that my writing is keeping you all so entertained! I hope I can continue to amuse you and please you with this story. Here is the update you've all been waiting for…Sark and Sydney reunited! As always, please review and let me know what you think, what you like or don't like, etc. _

………

The shootout at the warehouse in Patagonia ended in less than five minutes. It was hardly a fair fight; only three Covenant members against a dozen CIA agents. After the CIA had successfully emptied the warehouse of the Covenant, they began to investigate the procedure that had been in process.

"Do you see the cube?" Sydney inquired, removing her face covering and running her fingers through her hair to untangle it. She couldn't explain why, but some part of her subconscious was preparing for when she would see Sark; she felt a need to look good for him.

Dixon surveyed the experimental web in front of them. There were tables set up with multiple test tubes and microscopes, and a variety of other scientific tools. He pointed to the center of the table. "There."

Sydney hurried forward and snatched up the cube. "It's empty." She dropped it back down on the table. She began searching for the small vile that had been inside it. She didn't quite understand the whole extent of it yet, but Lazarey had told her enough for her to realize it was important, and potentially very dangerous to her. _Maybe Sark will be able to tell me what it is for…_

"Well, I guess we should bag all this and get it back. The DSR want it." Dixon gave the orders and the agents began scurrying about to obey.

"I wonder what they were doing with all these test tubes." Weiss picked up one of them, which was filled halfway with a fluid mixture. He read the label and paused. "Umm…Syd…"

"What's wrong?" Sydney frowned at his expression and moved quickly to his side to see what he was looking at. She read the label and her mouth dropped. "What does that mean?"

"I don't know. I was hoping you would!" Weiss told her.

Sydney glanced up at Dixon. "I don't want to give it to the DSR, but I don't know what else we can do!"

"Sydney, what's going on?" Dixon asked, heading toward them.

"Nothing…" She handed the test tube back to Weiss. "There's nothing for us to do. The DSR will figure out what it is and decide what it has to do with me."

"Okay…" Weiss seemed hesitant about giving it to the DSR, but he realized, as Sydney did, that there was nothing else for them to do.

Only a short time later they had bagged everything up and were ready to leave. The group of agents headed back to the cars, and Sydney started puzzling out how to get away from the group. She waited until they had made it out to the parking lot and were loading into the vehicles before creating her excuse.

"I can't find my cell phone." She murmured so only Weiss would hear her.

"What?"

"My cell phone…" She repeated. "I had it in my pocket. It must have dropped out somewhere inside."

"I'll go look for it." Weiss offered immediately.

"No, it's fine, I'll go." She stopped him. "You help them get everything loaded."

"You sure?"

"Yea, I'm sure." She grinned. "It's not exactly a taxing job to look for my cell phone!" She laughed slightly. "I'll be right back."

"Okay! Just holler if you need help." Weiss let her return to the warehouse.

Sydney entered the now empty building, wondering where she was supposed to look for Sark. She didn't have to think about it long.

"Sydney."

She turned at the sound of his soothing voice. He stepped out of the shadows where he had been lurking, waiting for her.

"Hi." She suddenly felt stupid for having arranged this meeting with him. "So, how is this going to work? This whole hostage thing…"

"Well, I sort of thought you might just walk out the backdoor with me. I have my car waiting a half mile away." He motioned for her to walk with him. "Of course, if you'd prefer, I could put you in handcuffs."

"Sark…" Sydney was revolted by his suggestion, but she sensed he was joking and it almost felt familiar.

"Agent Bristow!" A voice was calling to her from outside.

Sydney glanced over her shoulder and then back at Sark. "We better make this look convincing." She slipped her cell phone and gun out of her pockets and dropped them on the ground. "Let's go."

"After you."

She tried not to think about how comforting his smile was, as he guided her through the warehouse and out the back door.

"So, your car's a half a mile away?" Sydney commented as they exited the building and emerged into the bitter chill of the night air.

"Yes, I thought it would be safest further away." He explained.

Sydney glanced over her shoulder. "We should walk quickly…they'll start looking for me soon." She reconsidered. "In fact, maybe we should run."

"Run?" Sark glanced down at his Italian black leather shoes.

"Yea…they're going to be concerned about me. We don't want them to find us, do we?" Sydney quickened her pace, not paying attention to his hesitation. "They won't leave without me. The group I came here with…" She thought briefly of Dixon, Weiss, and Vaughn. "They're very protective of me."

Sark took her advice and started running alongside her, finding it irritating that he was struggling to keep up with her. In only a short while they had reached Sark's car. He had to take a moment to catch her breath before opening the door for her. When she sat down inside the black Mercedes, Sydney was surprised to find how out of breath she was after the brief run. She accounted it to her pregnancy; she didn't like that it was affecting her.

Sark hurried around to his own side and climbed in. "First things first." He began as he started the car. "The DSR won't find anything of you in the test tubes. I manipulated the materials."

"What do you mean? What should they have found?"

Sark took a deep breath as he pulled out onto the deserted back streets, heading away from the warehouse. "I'm still getting used to you not having any of your memories."

"But you do believe me, right?" She needed that clarification.

"Yes, I do."

"Thank you." Sydney kept her eyes focused straight ahead. It was going to take a while to adjust to the fact that she was sitting in a car with Sark, having an actually normal, and decent, conversation. He was being nice, and she didn't have an urge to hurt him as she usually did. "So, do I get answers yet?"

"How much did Lazarey tell you?" Sark questioned.

"He told me that I was working with the Covenant, and that there was a mole in the CIA, and that the cube contained Rambaldi's DNA…" She was rambling quickly, trying to remember everything he had told her in the letter.

"You weren't working for the Covenant. You were pretending. They tried to recondition you so that they could use you, but it didn't work." He started filling in some of the gaps. "You pretended that it had, however, and became the person they were trying to create; a woman named Julia Thorne."

"Julia Thorne." Sydney repeated. "I don't like being her."

"Good, I've never been particularly fond of her either." He smiled. "So, for a while the Covenant had you partnering with Simon Walker. Your mission was Rambaldi, but once they had me released from custody they had you partner with me instead."

"Did you believe I was Julia Thorne?"

"No." Sark smiled. "You didn't have me fooled for a minute."

"I'm glad." Sydney said before she had a minute to think about it. "I mean…" _Damnit, why did I say that?_ "Umm…I'm glad you didn't have to work with me as Julia…I don't know what sort of person she was…"

"Well, she was you Sydney. She was only you acting a part." Sark reminded her.

"Yes, I know, but the person that I was acting…I don't like who she was." Sydney was trying to figure out how to explain it to him. "I think she was a little slutty…"

"She was." Sark confirmed without hesitation.

Sydney gasped. She hadn't expected him to agree with her so readily. "Okay…"

He smiled, realizing how embarrassed she was about the whole situation. "I was with you briefly around Simon, when you were forced to act as Julia Thorne. You acted well."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better about the whole situation?" Sydney thought back to her brief time with Simon a few weeks ago. He had been expecting her to be as she was before, clearly sexually attentive.

"You weren't happy with him." He stated unnecessarily. "At least, I don't think you were. You acted frustrated with him, but you were good at acting so he wouldn't suspect anything."

Sydney wasn't enjoying the discussion of her relationship with Simon Walker. "What happened after we started working together?"

"We continued the search for the Rambaldi artifact, as well as other random assignments that the Covenant gave us." He explained briefly. "What you hadn't told me though was that you were also working behind my back with Lazarey, to find the cube first. Eventually you did."

"And then…"

"And then things became complicated." Sark ended the explanation abruptly.

Sydney realized he wasn't going to say anymore about it for a moment. "Sark, what exactly am I doing here with you?"

"What do you mean? I thought you came to me for answers."

"I did. But, you said that you were on trial with the Covenant…won't they be suspicious when they learn that you've been with me?"

"I'm hoping they won't hear about it." Sark told her.

"Why are you on trial?"

"Because a few months ago the Covenant learned that you and I had been working together against them."

"We were working against them? I mean, you were?"

"Yes. When we were first partnered together we made an arrangement to destroy the Covenant." He gently reminded her. He wondered if her memories would ever return…if anything he said would ever bring them back. "I was upset with them because they were blackmailing me, and you obviously wanted your life back."

"And so they figured that out?"

"Yes, and they separated us…I mean our partnership."

"Okay. How did you get arrested by the CIA?"

"That's the one part I'm not clear on. I mean I know how, I just don't know why." He was silent for a minute. "I suppose it could have been another technique to keep us apart. Perhaps they learned that you had told me the truth about Lazarey."

"Oh…" Sydney was trying to fill in what he wasn't saying. "Okay, I came to you because Lazarey said you would be able to tell me who the mole was."

He cleared his throat. "Are you sure you want to know?"

"Of course!" She frowned. "Why wouldn't I?"

"It won't be easy for you to accept." He warned her.

"None of this is easy for me to accept, but that doesn't make it any less true."

"Right." Sark pulled the car off the road into a secluded parking lot. He parked the car and twisted in his seat to look at her. "The mole was Kendall."

"Kendall?" For a moment Sydney wondered if she had heard right, but when she thought about it, she realized that she didn't doubt the truth of it. "How long had he been the mole?"

"I don't know specifically, but from the moment you contacted Kendall, he was working with the Covenant to use you, because they knew you hadn't been conditioned as Julia Thorne." Sark explained as well as he could. "As far as we know, he is the one who had your memories removed."

"Why would he have done that?"

Sark shrugged. "I'll piece it together as well as possible. I don't have the details, but I have theories."

"Okay. I'm listening." Sydney faced him and waited.

"When Lazarey informed you of who the mole was, you two realized that he had been using you for the Covenant's purposes, and then you realized that you couldn't very well give Kendall the cube and so you decided to hide it." Sark began. "I believe that once Kendall learned you had hidden the cube he removed your memories, realizing that you would be of no more us to the Covenant as Julia Thorne, and so he let you return to the CIA, hoping to be able to use you again as a CIA agent."

"How would he do that?"

"By prompting you to retrace your steps as Julia Thorne." Sark explained.

"Of course." It was all starting to make sense. "He sent the key to Sloane so I would go to Rome and find out just enough about myself to be more curious, and then when I found the cube he arranged for the DSR to come and retrieve it, and of course he could give their transportation route to the Covenant and stage an attack." She shook her head. "I can't believe it. Removing my memories was the only way he could learn where I had hidden it."

"Yes."

"How could I be so stupid?" She dropped her head back against the seat. "He was using me for two years with the Covenant and now he's been using me back at the CIA. I'm just a damn puppet!"

"Sydney, don't be so hard on yourself. There's no way for you to have known…" Sark fought the urge to touch her. He wanted to hold her hand, but he knew it would be a while before she was ready for that again.

"What are we suppose to do now?" Sydney asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Now that I know who the mole is, you can't expect me to just sit back and work with him! He must have everyone fooled. It's dangerous. I have to tell people that he's bad…"

"You shouldn't rush into anything." Sark decided.

"But…"

"No, listen to me." He silenced her. "You might be able to discover something if you pretend that you don't know about Kendall being the mole."

Sydney considered his suggestion. "What could he tell me? What more do I need to know?"

"We never found a way to destroy the Covenant." He told her. "Because we never learned who was leading the organization."

"You don't know who you're working for?"

He shook his head. "I've only ever gone through middlemen. I don't know who the boss is. They are a very paranoid group." He sighed. "Until we learn who the leader is, and what their endgame is, we can not bring them down."

"So, how can I help?"

"I don't know yet, but there might be a way. Will it be safe for me to continue contacting you on your cell phone?"

"My line is always secure."

"Fine, then if I have any ideas of ways for you to help I will call you."

"A few minutes ago, when I first got in the car, you told me that the DSR wouldn't be able to connect anything to me…" Sydney remembered. "What did that mean? Why were the test tubes labeled with my name?"

He glanced at her stomach and she instantly panicked that he could tell she was pregnant. Of all people, she definitely didn't want Sark to know. He had already made it clear how he felt about Simon; she didn't need him knowing that she was having Simon's baby.

"I assume you're curious about the scars."

She realized that he hadn't been noticing her baby bump, but he had been looking at the place her stomach was scarred. _How does he know about the scars?_ She nodded. "What are they?"

"The Covenant extracted your eggs." He confessed bluntly. "They did it in the first month they had you in custody."

"Why?" She thought about the cube and the test tubes and then it clicked. "Were they seriously going to try and reproduce some sort of Rambaldi clone or child or something, with my eggs?"

"You are the chosen one." He smiled.

She rolled her eyes. "So the prophecy says, but I never would have considered that it was referring to that…"

"Me either actually." He laughed a little. "I think it's a bit absurd, but the Covenant clearly has different ideas on the matter." His face grew solemn again. "But your eggs are safe…"

She grinned. "That sounds funny."

"I know." He was smiling too. "But it's true. Neither the Covenant, Kendall, nor the CIA will have them."

"So, you have them?"

He nodded. "I was going to destroy them, but I wasn't sure if you would want them for any reason…"

She shook her head. "You should probably destroy them, just to be safe. I don't need them."

"I will then." He started the car again. "Now, how are we going to get you back to your own people?"

"That's it?" Sydney wasn't satisfied. "That's all I get?"

"I've told you everything that's important, what more do you want?"

Sydney wanted details. "I guess nothing for now." She sighed. "Just leave me here I suppose and I'll find a way to get back to them. I'll tell them I managed to escape from my kidnappers…" She shook her head. "No, that won't work."

"I may have an idea, but it would require you taking a couple of days away from the CIA."

"What do you mean?"

"It would be best if you were gone for at least twenty-four hours I think."

"Gone where?"

"The details aren't important. I could get you a hotel room and you could just stay there, out of sight." He suggested. "And then I will take you somewhere, perhaps a street corner with a phone booth, and you'll call the CIA and tell them you can't remember the past twenty-four hours."

"Losing my memories again?"

"Yes, but you won't actually lose them this time." Sark smiled. "But that's the general idea. The CIA will believe that you have no idea where you were."

"It's a good plan." Sydney agreed.

"Alright, where would you like to stay?"

"I don't know." The idea of staying by herself in a strange country after everything she had just learned didn't leave her very content.

"If you would rather…" Sark stopped himself.

"What?" Sydney prodded. "If I would rather what?"

"I don't want to put you in an uncomfortable situation, but perhaps instead of a hotel you would prefer to stay with me…"

"With you?" Sydney snapped quickly.

"No, of course, that wouldn't be a good idea…" Sark tried to correct himself.

"Well, maybe…" Sydney hesitated. _Am I seriously considering this? _"If I did want to stay with you…"

His eyes brightened excitedly. "We could fly to London and stay at my place." He reconsidered. "Or Paris." _She always liked that one…maybe she would remember something. _

"You have multiple places?" She smiled. "Actually, that doesn't surprise me."

He nodded. "I also have living accommodations Spain, Zurich, and Scotland."

"Scotland?" Something about it sparked Sydney's interest.

"Yes." He looked at her curiously.

"Have I…" She sighed, but he picked up her thought.

"Yes, you have been there before."

"Where else have I been with you?"

"Oh here and there." Sark darted the question. "So, where would you like to go?"

"You can choose. They're your homes." Sydney decided.

"Alright, we'll go to Paris." He chose. "I…I think you'll like it there."


	51. Surprise

**APRIL FOOL'S!!!!!**

HAHA…okay, I know that was mean…but it was fun!!!


	52. Partners again

_A/N: Okay, I know that was a cruel joke, but I thought it was funny! Anyway, for being such good sports, here's an extra-long and very unexpected update. I didn't think I'd have any time to write this weekend. But don't expect another one for a while. I've got midterms this week and my time will be completely booked up. This weekend though I'll be on a 6-hr plane ride to go to DC for spring break, so there should be lots of time to write! Have a good week my dear readers, and please review and let me know how you're liking the progression of Syd and Sark's relationship! Thanks! _

She lay awake for hours, unable to calm down her mind after everything she had learned. It still wasn't making any sense, but at the same time it made plenty of sense; that was partly why she was having such a difficult time with it. _How could Kendall have fooled so many people for so long? How am I going to return to work with him and pretend like nothing's wrong? He's the reason I've lost so much of my life! He's the reason I lost Vaughn. _She sat up as she came to that realization. The next realization shocked her even more. _That's the one part that I don't hate him for. I don't miss Vaughn…_

Glancing at the clock on the table beside the bed, Sydney let out a frustrated sigh. _4:00._ She decided that attempting to sleep was becoming a waste of time. Eating seemed like a good alternative, but she knew that when Sark gave her his bedroom, he took the couch in the living room next to the kitchen. She didn't want to wake him up, but then again…_maybe he'll want to talk some more. _She climbed out of bed and searched for her clothes that she had been wearing the day before, so she could wear something more than the T-shirt she had borrowed from Sark to sleep in. Instead of her used clothes, she found an assortment of fresh clothing on the chair in the corner of the room.

_I wonder if they're my size. _Sydney quickly dressed in the jeans and simple black sweater. They fit her comfortably; in fact if she hadn't gained a few pounds of baby weight they would have fit her perfectly. She viewed her appearance in the mirror, turned sideway and placed her hands and on her stomach. _Oh God, I hope he won't be able to tell…_

Once she was dressed, Sydney moved into the bathroom to try and do something about her hair. _He's a very fashionable guy…he has to have some sort of styling products! _Sydney reasoned as she started sorting through the drawers and cupboards. She stopped when she discovered an entire drawer devoted to makeup, hair products, perfumes, and other things that a woman would need for primping. _He must have a pretty serious girlfriend if he keeps all these things here for her. _She picked out what she wanted and fixed herself up quickly.

When she was ready, she carefully made her way down the stairs, trying to be as quiet as possible. At the bottom of the steps she glanced to the right, peering into the living room where Sark was sleeping. A part of her strangely wanted to creep into the living room to see him, not to wake him, but just to look at him, watch him without having to deal with talking. Though, she forced herself to the left, into the kitchen, to find something to eat.

_How am I going to find anything? I'll have to go through every cupboard. It won't be very quiet…_She had started to panic, but realized only a moment later that somehow she seemed to know where things were. It was as though she could figure it out by instinct…or perhaps it was memory.

A few minutes later as she was sitting down at the counter barstools with a bowl of cereal and a glass of cranberry juice, she was disrupted by a voice coming from the doorway behind her.

"Couldn't you sleep?"

Sydney glanced over her shoulder, trying not to let him see how much he had alarmed her. "I'm sorry I woke you. I was trying to be quiet."

He stood on the opposite side of the counter and smiled at her. "You didn't wake me. I wasn't sleeping."

"Oh." Sydney took a sip of her juice.

"Mind if I join you?" He asked.

"Umm, no, it's your kitchen." She smiled slightly. "Thanks for the clothes. They fit perfectly."

He nodded and started fixing himself a bowl of cereal. "If you ever start to feel uncomfortable here, please tell me and I will let you return to the CIA. I feel that our cover might be more believable if you stay hidden for a longer amount of time, but if you wish to return…"

Sydney shrugged. "I'm fine, for now…"

"Good. Would you like some coffee?" He asked.

She smiled. "Coffee? Not tea?"

He shook his head. "You don't like tea. Julia does."

"Yea, I sort of figured that out." She thought back to Simon and Paul and their offers for tea. "I would love some coffee."

He smiled and began to make a pot. "What else have you figured out on your own?"

She sighed. "Not much." Her thoughts turned to Simon and her baby. "I clearly had a very intimate relationship with Simon Walker."

"Yes, you did…" Sark confirmed, though he sounded less than pleased about it.

"Do you know how long it went on for?"

"No, I don't." Sark kept his back to her. _I'd like to believe that it was over long before you were with me, but there's so much that I've been forced to doubt…_He hated himself for still doubting her, when so much clearly wasn't her fault, but he couldn't help it. He loved her so much and she didn't even remember that! It was painful.

"A few weeks ago when I was with him, he seemed like he was both happy to see me and at the same time hating me. His attitude confused me." She considered her pregnancy. "I don't know if he ever truly loved me, or if it was just physical, but we were clearly very serious…"

Sark frowned. "Yes, for a while you were. I'm afraid I can't tell you much of the details though. I don't even know how long you two were together."

"Right, of course. I didn't expect that you'd be able to tell me much about my personal life." Sydney shrugged. "There's just so much I'm curious about and I wish finding answers would be easier!"

"I know." Sark hated seeing her hurting, but he wasn't ready to tell her the truth. The intimacy they had shared, and the feelings that they had had wasn't something that should be told. He needed her to remember on her own. "But for now, we'll just have to do the best we can with what we know, right?"

Sydney nodded. "Right." She didn't like how serious the topic was becoming so she turned to another one. "While I was in bed, and not able to sleep, I was thinking about a plan. We need to find a way to expose Kendall as the mole."

"I agree, but that may not be very easy. You were working with him closely for almost two years and never suspected a thing." Sark reminded her. "Not to mention all the others he's been fooling for much longer than that."

"I know. It's going to be difficult, maybe impossible, but we have to destroy him!"

"And the rest of the Covenant as well." Sark added. "It's going to be a long process."

"I'm willing to do whatever it takes." Sydney assured him.

"That's good."

"Sark, there's something I have to say to you, and I'm not sure how it's going to sound…"

"Just say it, Sydney." He encouraged gently.

She sighed. "You've surprised me." She began. "I've been blaming you for so long about what happened to me and to my memories, but it wasn't you."

"No, it wasn't."

"You're possibly the only one who hasn't been lying to me." She smiled at the irony of the situation. "I guess what I'm trying to say, is that I think…I think I trust you."

For a moment he couldn't speak. She had finally given him what he had been wanting back for so long. She had given him back her trust, or at least she was in the process of trusting him again. "Thank you. You may not understand it, but that means a lot to me."

She nodded. "I sort of sense that."

He grinned. "So, are we going to be partners again?"

"Partners…" Sydney pondered the word for a minute. "I should be saying no. There is so much about this that I shouldn't be okay with…" She smiled. "But for some reason it feels right…" He held out his hand and she shook it. "So, partners I suppose."

………

"This whole memory loss thing is getting ridiculous!" Sydney whined to her dad the night after she returned to LA. Pretending to be frustrated was easier than she expected it to be. Lying to everyone was also easier than it should have been.

"I know sweetheart, I wish I could give you answers."

As Sydney and Sark had arranged, after twenty-four hours she had pretended to wake up in the middle of Paris without any memory of where she had been overnight. She called Dixon and was picked up and brought back to LA, where she was promptly put through multiple health examinations. Once she was declared safe, her dad had insisted on her staying at home to relax, and he came to make her dinner.

"If they aren't done with me than why do they keep letting me go?" Sydney wondered how far she should take this act. A part of her felt a little guilty for lying to her father, but she couldn't risk filling in anyone.

"Do you want garlic in the pasta?" Jack asked from his place at the stove.

Sydney frowned and shook her head. "No, please!"

He smiled tenderly. "Still having reactions to certain foods?"

She nodded. "It's a pregnant thing dad, it's not just going to go away."

"I know, but these nauseas symptoms shouldn't last too much longer. It's been a while since I have been around a pregnant woman, but I do remember some things."

Sydney smiled. "I know. I've been doing some research, and supposedly by next month the morning sickness should be under control. But until then, it's getting pretty annoying."

"Okay, so no garlic for now." Jack obliged.

"Thanks." Sydney appreciated her father's generosity in being company for her, but strangely she wanted to be alone. Actually, that was a lie. She had a desire to call Sark and talk with him, not about anything in particular, but just for fun and companionship. _When did I start considering Sark as my companion of choice? _She hadn't consciously made that realization, but the past few hours she had spent with him in Paris had been surprisingly enjoyable. They had talked of nothing significant, but had rather just spent the time getting to know a little about each other.

"Sydney, are you okay?" Jack asked her suddenly, and she realized that she had been silent for a while.

"Yea, I'm just a little tired."

"They didn't hurt you at all did they?" Jack questioned. He let the marinara sauce simmer on the stove, and came to his daughter's side with fatherly concern.

She shook her head. "Not to my knowledge. Besides, the CIA ran all the necessary health tests on me. I'm in perfect condition." She patted her stomach. "So is my baby."

Jack looked uncomfortable. "Have you gathered any more information on the possible identity of the father?"

Sydney sighed. "I'm pretty confident that it's Simon. He's the only person that makes sense." She felt certain about it. "As far as I know, he's the only one I had sex with over the past two years."

Jack cleared his throat. "Alright, I think that's enough of this conversation."

"I'm sorry." Sydney quickly realized she shouldn't have gone that far in the conversation with her dad. "If Simon is the father, though, I don't think I'd ever want to tell him."

"Oh?" Jack couldn't entirely blame her, but at the same time the statement surprised him a little.

"No, I don't think so. I don't think he would care much."

"How can you be certain?"

"He doesn't love me dad." Sydney thought that explanation should be sufficient.

"Of course not, Sydney." Her dad confirmed briskly. "He doesn't even know you. To him you are Julia Thorne, an assassin." Jack pointed out logically. "But if he loved you as Julia, perhaps if you told him the truth…"

"No." Sydney cut him off quickly. "He didn't love me as Julia and I don't want him to love me now." She was very insistent on the point she wanted to make. "He isn't the sort of man I would want in my child's life."

"Sydney, I have been avoiding this subject, but now I think we should discuss it." Jack pulled the pasta from the stove and served it while he carefully chose his words. "In four months you will have a baby."

"Four and a half."

"Yes, right, but anyway, you will soon have a child and I am wondering if you have given it much thought. What are you going to do when it is born? Are you going to keep it? Are you going to raise it?"

"I don't know." Sydney ate momentarily in silence. "When I found out I was pregnant I was terrified because I couldn't remember who I had been with. Now I'm terrified because I do know who I was with…" Her eyes started tearing up. "How can I raise a child who is from that man?"

"How can you raise a child alone?" He countered. "I know you are a strong woman, Sydney. You never cease to make me proud as a father, but taking on the responsibility of motherhood…particularly in this unusual situation…"

"I know." Sydney didn't need him to finish his sentence. "It's not exactly an ideal situation, but what am I suppose to do?" She ate quickly, suddenly realizing how hungry she was. It had been hours since she had last eaten, and now she was eating for two. "Not having the baby has never even crossed my mind…but giving it up to someone else…"

"I know it sounds hard, but think of your current lifestyle." Jack tried to express compassion, but in his mind she only had one option. "Wouldn't you rather your child be raised by two parents who would love it fully and be able to give it a complete life?"

Sydney nodded slightly. "Of course, but can't I also want it to be raised by it's mother?"

"Even if you would be raising it alone?"

"Maybe."

"If you choose to keep the child, you might have to reconsider a career as an agent." Jack informed her. "I don't know how you could keep your job and raise the baby alone."

"I know." Her head was starting to throb with all the difficult questions. She didn't want to deal with them right now. "Can we talk about something else right now?"

"Sydney you can't just ignore this because it upsets you."

"I'm not ignoring it dad!" She raised her voice slightly. "It's been a very long day and I'm tired, and I don't want to talk about this anymore."

"Alright." Jack backed down wisely. "We can talk about something else." He watched her nibble at her pasta as he tried to think of a new topic. "The CIA thinks they are closer to locating Sark's location."

"What?" Sydney dropped her fork. "They're looking for Sark?"

"Of course they are." Jack frowned. "I thought you would have been informed. Since you told us of his taking Lazarey, the CIA has had agents tracking him."

"Why?" Sydney demanded sharply.

"To bring him in of course. We let Sark go unwillingly. If we have the opportunity to recover him, we won't neglect to pursue it."

"But what has he done?"

Jack gazed at her quizzically. "Julian Sark? Sydney he's a wanted terrorist. He has been for years. Why does he have to have done something now?"

"I…" She realized that her outburst was a little out of character.

"I assumed you of all people would be glad to hear that we were hunting for him. You were so strongly against letting him go!"

She nodded simply, not trusting herself to speak.

"Is something wrong, Sydney?"

"No." She shook her head. "As I said, I'm just a little tired. I think I'd like to sleep now, actually."

"Sure sweetheart, I'll clean up. You go and lay down."

"Thanks." She retreated to her bedroom immediately and shut the door. _I hate feeling so confused! Dad's right, I should be thrilled that they're going to capture Sark. Last month I probably would have been rejoicing…_she found her cell phone and moved into the adjoining bathroom to be even further from the kitchen, where her dad was cleaning up. _Why does thinking of Sark make me excited? And why does the idea of Sark being arrested, make me so upset? _Sydney let the bathwater run to stifle the sound of her voice and dialed the number that was now so solid in her memory.

"I wasn't expecting to hear from you so soon." His answer was quick, and his voice expressed a hint of excitement.

"Hi." Sydney perched on the edge of the bathtub. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything…or waking you up…" She tried to count the hours in her head. "I hadn't even thought of the time difference."

"It's not a problem. I'm glad to hear from you." Sark assured her.

"Really?" She was careful to whisper, just in case her father had expert hearing, which she wouldn't doubt.

"Yes, I wanted to be sure that your return to LA went well."

"It did. Thank you for asking."

"Are you not alone?" He asked suddenly.

"What?"

"You're whispering."

"Oh…yea…I know." She smiled. "My dad came over to make me dinner and he's cleaning up now. I'm not in the same room with him though…"

"But you still feel it's necessary to whisper." He paused. "Why are you calling me at this moment? Couldn't you have simply waited until you were truly alone?"

She considered his question. "Yes, that probably would have been simpler."

"So…"

"I just wanted to talk to you."

"Oh?"

"Yea…actually I wanted to warn you."

"Warn me? Is something wrong?"

"The CIA is looking for you." Sydney explained. "Ever since you took Lazarey from the meeting with Will. They've had agents searching for you."

"I see."

"I didn't know." She told him quickly. She wasn't sure why, but she felt that clearing herself of that was important. "My dad just told me and I wanted to pass it along to you…"

"Should you have done that?"

"Why not?" She hesitated. "I mean…I wanted to make sure that you were careful…"

"Shouldn't you want the CIA to find me and bring me in?" He questioned.

"No!" Sydney knew she had answered too quickly and tried to correct herself. "I guess I should, but we agreed to be partners. In order for that to work, I sort of need you to not be in custody."

"I suppose you have a point." He agreed. "In that case, I appreciate the call."

"Your welcome."

"Was there anything else you wanted?"

"I guess not…" She wasn't ready to hang up yet. Talking to him somehow made all the problems she was struggling with seem less upsetting and significant.

"If you wanted to chat sometime, you know, just for chatting sake, we could."

"For chatting sake?" Sydney grinned.

"Yes, just to talk. Not for a warning, or business…" He explained. "You can call me anytime. I don't mind."

"Okay." She was pleased that he had mentioned it. "I will."

"Good."

"Are you sure?"

"Sure that I don't mind talking with you?" He chuckled a little. It was an abnormal sound coming from Julian Sark, but at the same time Sydney thought it felt a little familiar. "Yes, I am certain. I enjoy hearing your voice."

Sydney felt herself blushing, and realized that it was silly for her to feel embarrassed when they were only talking on the phone and he couldn't even see her expression. "Okay."

"Sydney! Are you feeling any better?"

She heard her dad calling from outside the bedroom door. "Yea, I'm feeling better!" She called back, holding the phone away from her mouth. "I decided to take a bath to relax."

"Alright sweetheart, I'm going to head home, but if you need anything at all don't hesitate to give me a call."

"Thanks dad!" She hollered. "I'll be fine. Thank you for dinner!"

"Goodnight!"

Sydney listened to his heavy footsteps heading away from her door before she returned to her phone conversation. "I'm sorry, I just needed to say goodbye to my dad." She heard the front door shut and she turned off the bathwater, no longer needing the sound to cover her phone call.

"Are you not feeling well?" Sark questioned.

"No, I'm feeling fine." Sydney told him. "My dad just likes to worry. Plus he thinks I was abducted the day before yesterday."

"Oh, yes, good point."

"Well, I guess I'll let you go now." Sydney didn't have anything else particular to say to him, but she still didn't want to say goodbye.

"Fine, I will talk to you later I imagine."

"Yes." Sydney paused. "You can call me too, if you ever feel like it."

"Really?" Sark seemed surprise by the offer. "You won't ignore the phone call?"

"No." She smiled. "Unless I'm in a debriefing."

"Fair enough."

"Alright then…"

"Goodnight Sydney."

"Goodnight. Or good morning there, I guess." She paused. "Where are you right now anyway? Are you still in Paris?"

"No, I'm in Rome. The Covenant likes to keep me close."

"Right. Okay. Goodbye." She hung up quickly before she thought of another way to postpone the conversation. Her head was swimming enough without adding in her confused emotions about Sark at the moment.


	53. Decision

_A/N: Thank you all for the good humor! I'm glad you enjoyed the joke. Here's a rather short update, but I almost have the next one finished too, so it should be up soon. Also, Sark will be finding out soon (as in the next update!) So just a little more patience please. _

………

"Do you remember when June meant the start of summer vacation?" Weiss questioned casually.

Sydney laughed and accepted the glass of orange juice Weiss was handing her. "Yea, those were the days. Now June means my sixth month." She gasped suddenly and pressed her hand against her stomach gently. "You know there are days when I'd almost take the nausea back."

"Is it kicking?" Weiss grinned excitedly and came around the table. "Can I feel it?"

"No, it's not kicking anymore." Sydney shrugged. "I'll let you know next time." She nibbled at the omelet Weiss had prepared for her. "Thanks for coming over this morning."

"Of course, you know I'm ready to come anytime you call me!" Weiss told her. "That's why it's so convenient that we're neighbors." He settled back into his own chair and continued eating his breakfast. "I didn't want to bring it up, but when you called, you weren't sounding like yourself…is anything wrong?"

Sydney hesitated for a moment, not quite ready to speak what was on her mind. She had stayed up for most of the night debating the idea in her mind, and by morning she had finally settled on a decision. She called Weiss because she needed to tell someone, and he was the only one she relied on for these conversations.

"I've made up my mind about the baby." She told him.

"Oh?" Weiss tried not to let his concern show in his voice, but it was difficult. "What have you decided?"

"I'm going to give it up." She announced. Her tone was resolute, but her voice wavered slightly.

Weiss knew she wasn't completely content with the decision. "Are you sure that's what you want?"

She shook her head. "It's the only way for things to work. I can't raise a child alone. I can barely take care of myself!"

"Sydney, you're the strongest woman…hell you're the strongest person I know! And I'm not just talking about physical strength. You could beat up me and all the other guys in the office…at the same time!" Weiss smiled.

"I could not." She protested, though a part of her felt curious about whether or not it was true. She knew she was in great shape. _Well, not so much now with the pregnancy…_

"Doubting your strength shouldn't be your reason. You are more than capable of taking care of a child. Plus, you wouldn't be alone. You'll have all of us to help you. I could be here anytime you need me, and your dad I'm sure would be more than willing to help you…and Dixon…"

"I'm not afraid of raising it alone…" Sydney told him. "It's not about that…"

"Okay…"

She could tell he wasn't convinced. "It might be a little bit about that, but really I just can't stand the thought of raising a child when I'm not even positive who the father is!"

"I thought you were confident that it was Simon."

"I think it is. He's the only option I have, but I don't have a way of being absolutely certain!" She paused briefly. "Did I ever tell you that when Vaughn first found out I was pregnant, he thought it was your baby?"

Weiss almost spat his orange juice out on the table. "What?"

"I know, it's crazy, isn't it?" She laughed. "He was suspicious of how much time we had been spending together. He had convinced himself that we were having some sort of relationship…"

"I can't believe you haven't told me this sooner! It's the craziest thing I've ever heard." Weiss's eyes leaked tears from his intense laughter. "I can't wait to mock him for that one!"

She shared his laughter for a moment, but then settled down again. "If Simon is the father…I don't think that'd necessarily be any better than not knowing. I know I wouldn't be happy raising _his_ child."

Weiss calmed down quickly. "But it will be _your_ child. He's just a glorified sperm donor."

Sydney smiled. "I know, but I've made up my mind." She felt a kick in her stomach again, but tried to ignore it. "It'll be better this way." The baby wouldn't settle down. She placed her hand over her bulge. "This child deserves two parents who love it, and love each other."

"If you're mind is made up, than you have my support."

"Thanks."

Weiss's cell phone rang and he glanced at the ID briefly. "It's Vaughn." He answered the call. "What's up?"

Sydney stood and started clearing the dishes as Weiss took his phone call. She tried to give him his privacy, but couldn't help overhearing his side of the conversation.

"No, I'm not at home. I'm with Sydney." He paused momentarily. "Yea, we're having crazy wild sex and making lots of babies!" He lost himself to his hysterics again.

"You're such a jerk!" Sydney playfully smacked him on the arm as she came to take up his breakfast dishes.

"We're just finishing up breakfast." Weiss corrected himself on the phone. "Should we head on over there?"

Sydney waited for Weiss's response. When he nodded to her she moved into her bedroom to change out of her sweatpants and into more appropriate attire for the office.

"Syd, how you doing in there?" Weiss called through the closed door to Sydney, when he was off the phone.

"Fine, I'll be out in just a second."

"Don't rush. They can wait." Weiss told her.

"Weiss, stop babying me." Sydney warned him, still shouting through the closed door.

"Right, sorry." He backed away from the door and sat down in the living room to wait for her. "Can we stop for coffee on the way to the office?"

"Wasn't I asking you just a few minutes ago if you wanted me to make some coffee?" Sydney exited her bedroom and lectured him teasingly.

"Yea, well I changed my mind."

"Fine, we'll stop for coffee, but we better leave now. We're already running late and I promised Dixon I wouldn't use my pregnancy hinder me from my daily duties, so we can't use it as an excuse." She slung her purse over her shoulder and headed for the front door. Weiss quickly followed.


	54. Secrets Confessed

_A/N: So usually my account emails me with review alerts, but it hasn't been at all for my last update and so I was afraid that nobody was enjoying it because I hadn't heard anything, but then I decided to check the site and saw that people had been reviewing! So, yay! And thank you! Anyway, here's the update…it's not too exciting, well, important stuff happens…but I'm excited for the next one! I was almost going to end the story soon, but I've thought of a new twist and I think I might be expanding it. Or maybe I'll end it and then make a sequel. I'll see what sort of responses I get to the next update. So, in other words, please update and let me know what you think! _

………

"Another phone call?"

"I'm sorry, am I calling too often?" Sydney instantly worried that he might become annoyed with her.

"Of course not!" Sark assured her quickly. "You could call me every hour and I wouldn't mind."

"Really?"

He was quiet briefly and she wondered if he had meant to say that much to her. "I enjoy talking with you Sydney. I look forward to your phone calls."

She smiled at his sincerity.

"But, for the sake of clarity, why are you calling me this morning? We talked yesterday, and you usually don't call so often."

Glancing at the clock, she noticed that it was getting late and her dad would be there soon to pick her up. She decided to get straight to the point. "How long did we work together? I mean before I lost my memories."

"Seven months and five days." Sark answered without having to think for a second. "And then the CIA invaded my flat in Rome and took me away. I didn't know what had happened to you until you came to visit me in my cell back in LA."

"That's a long time."

"Yea, it was." He sighed. "Why the sudden curiosity?"

"I've been having flashes."

"Flashes?"

"Memory flashes. Of us…"

"Of us?" His voice rose slightly in excitement.

"Yes, of us working together."

"Oh, of course." His voice returned to normal. "Well, we did work together."

"Yea…we did…" She considered his tone for a minute, but decided not to press for an explanation.

"Is that all you called for?"

"Yes." She answered slowly, wanting to keep him on the phone longer. She wanted more of her memories, more than a few flashes of the two of them typing on a computer or firing guns. "Did we jump off a balcony once?"

Sark laughed suddenly. "Yes, we did."

"I remember that." She smiled. "I think there were guns involved…did you get shot?"

"Yes, I did actually. It wasn't pleasant." He was still laughing at the memory of flying over the railing as they clung to each other desperately. "We were in Venice."

"Venice? Really? I don't remember that much." She shut her eyes trying to pull up more of the memory, but it was useless. "What were we doing in Venice?"

"Crashing a party." He informed her casually. "We needed information from a man named Zimmerman and he was hosting one of his annual parties at his home in Venice, and so we crashed, by posing as someone else."

"I see. I wish I could remember more."

"It was a very eventful evening." Sark hinted, wishing she would remember the kisses they shared that night. "After that night we spent the week in Scotland, lying low for a while. Perhaps one day you will remember it better."

"Perhaps." It wasn't the first time Sydney had thought of retrieving her memories one day. She just hadn't been able to figure out a plausible way yet.

"So, I don't mean to change the topic so abruptly, but I received a message this afternoon from Arvin Sloane." Sark stated suddenly.

"Sloane?" Sydney didn't care to hear that name. "What did he want?"

"He claims to have information for us, but refuses to see me alone." Sark explained. "He would like to speak with the two of us, in person."

"Oh?" Sydney panicked. So far she had been able to keep her pregnancy secret from Sark, since their conversations were always on the phone and never face to face. He hadn't seen her since her stomach had really started to bulge. She was past six months now. She knew hiding her stomach was now impossible. "Why?"

"I don't know, Sydney. He wouldn't tell me anything until he saw us in person. Both of us." He paused. "I asked him if I could come alone. I explained to him that it would be difficult for you to get to Zurich for the meeting."

"That's true. I don't know how I'd manage to sneak away from the CIA for a couple days."

"But Sloane refused to see me without you." Sark finished. "Do you think you could manage it somehow?"

Sydney thought again about her pregnancy and how much she wished she could hide it from him forever. "I don't know…I mean it's Sloane!"

"Strangely, you use to trust him, and even value his opinions and the information he could offer you." Sark gently reminded her.

"Yet another thing I can't remember…or understand." She sighed.

"Sydney, will you come to Zurich?" Sark questioned.

"I have to think about it." She replied. "I don't know if I'll be able to get away." She heard her doorbell and quickly jumped off the couch where she had been sitting.

"But you will try."

"Yes, I'll try…" Sydney peeked out the window and her dad smiled at her from the front step. "I have to go now!"

"Sydney, promise me."

"Promise you what?"

"Promise me that you will try to come." Sark clarified.

"It's hard to promise to try and see Sloane…" She smiled, slowly unlocking her front door.

"Don't promise for Arvin." Sark corrected her. "Promise for me. I would like to see you."

Sydney was caught off guard and for a moment couldn't reply. "I would like to see you too. I promise I will try, for you."

"Alright, then goodbye."

"Goodbye." She clicked off the phone and opened the door. "Hi dad!"

"Were you on the phone just now?" He asked immediately.

"Umm, yes I was." She smiled with practiced nonchalance. "It was the wrong number."

"Fine. Are you ready for work?"

"Yea, let me just get my jacket." She retrieved it from the living room and followed her dad out to his car. He had recently gotten into the habit of picking her up for work, when she was coming in late and Weiss was already gone. He hadn't told her directly, but she knew it was because he worried about her driving alone. "Dad, if I needed to take a few days off work, do you think that could be arranged?"

"Are you not feeling well?" Jack was instantly worried. "Should we discuss your maternity leave with Dixon?"

"No, of course not." Sydney protested quickly. "It's hardly time for me to take a maternity leave. Besides, I've told you before that I'm not leaving until we figure out everything about my missing years."

"You know we will do everything we can about that, but it may not work out exactly as you hope. When the baby comes, you're going to have to take a break." He paused. "Though, of course, since you have decided not to keep the baby, you won't have a very long break." He hesitated again and glanced at her sideways. "Unless, you change your mind."

"No." She sighed. "I'm not changing my mind."

"So why do you ask for time off?"

"There's just something I need to do. It's personal."

"Sydney, I believe the time could be arranged, but you know as well as I do that Dixon will not take the excuse 'it's personal'. You will have to give him a reason for your absence."

She nodded. "I know, I just need to think of one first." Jack didn't respond, but she knew he wasn't happy with her answer. "Dad, I don't mean to hide things from you, but there's just some stuff that I need to keep to myself for now."

"Sydney, if there's anything I can do to help you, you know I will."

"I know you would want to, but that doesn't mean you would." She replied. "If you didn't approve, you wouldn't help."

"Does that mean that what you are going to be doing is something I wouldn't approve of?"

"Maybe." She smiled. "I don't even know if I approve of it, but it has to be done." She hoped her tone would signal to her father that her mind was made up. "Trust me, I'm no looking forward to it."

"Sydney, you have to be careful…"

"Dad, I promise, I will be safe." Sydney told him. "That's the one thing I am sure of. I will be taken care of."

"How can you so certain? You're going to be alone, without any of us to take care of you…"

"I won't be alone."

"Sydney, where are you going?"

Luckily for Sydney they were just pulling into the parking lot. Before he had a chance to interrogate her further, Sydney was climbing out of the car and hurrying as fast as she could waddle into the office. Jack waited for a moment, frustrated, and then followed her into work.

…………

"I am glad you were able to work out the time off." Sark's cool voice spoke over the phone as he answered Sydney's call.

"Yea, it wasn't so hard." She hesitated. "I'll be landing in Zurich in about twenty minutes."

"And I'll be there to pick you up." Sark informed her. "We have a meeting with Sloane in one hour, so we should have just enough to stop for coffee if you wish."

Sydney sighed. She had been debating how to break the news to him throughout the whole flight, and she still hadn't decided if she wanted to warn him or just surprise him.

"Is something wrong, Sydney?"

"Damn. I hate how good you are at picking up on the tones of my voice." She gazed out the window, chewing on her lip nervously. "Sark, I've been keeping something from you…for a long time now."

"Oh?" He didn't sound too concerned.

"This is serious Sark." She wanted to make sure he understood her. "I've been lying to you for months, during all the phone calls, and even when I saw you in Patagonia."

"Sydney, you can tell me anything!" Sark assured her. "I thought we had agreed that you trusted me."

"I do trust you Sark, that's not why I have been lying to you." Sydney told him. "I've been afraid to tell you because of what you'd think of me."

"Sydney…"

"No, let me finish." She cut him off and the proceeded quickly. "Please don't judge me."

"Sydney, you're making me nervous."

"I'm pregnant." She spit it out abruptly. She waited for his reply and when it didn't come she spoke again. "I'm sorry. I probably should have told you earlier, but things were going so well between us, and I didn't want to give you a reason to hate me."

"Going so well?" Sark repeated slowly. "What does that mean exactly?"

"I…I don't know." Sydney realized that she had been saying whatever came into her mind without processing what she meant by it. "We've been getting along well, and we've been trusting each other…"

"And yet you've been lying to me…"

"I know." She wanted to cry, strangely hating what she knew he must be thinking about her. "And I'm sorry…"

"How long?"

"What?"

"How long have you been lying to me?"

"For as long as we've been working together."

He was quiet again briefly and then let out a small laugh. "Are you and Agent Vaughn having an affair?"

"What?"

"I just assume that it is his child. He is your true love, isn't he?"

"No!" Sydney snapped quickly and knew she would have to explain herself. "I haven't been interested in Vaughn for a long time."

"Really?" Sark's voice expressed a hint of unmistakable joy. "So then, there must be a new man in your life."

"Sark, there's nobody in my life."

"Then who's the father?"

"I'm seven months pregnant, Sark." She paused, letting the statement sink in. "This happened during the time that I can't remember."

"So you don't know who the father is."

"I have a pretty good idea."

"Oh?"

"Well, you know that I don't remember much of my past couple of years, though I do know some facts, such as the fact that I had a relationship with Simon Walker. I can't remember any of the details, but I do know that we were intimate, and I'm not happy about it, but we all have to pay for our consequences." She took a deep breath. "He's the only man that I have any assurance that I was with during those years, and I'd like to believe that I wasn't exactly living like a whore."

"You weren't." He told her quickly.

"That's comforting." Glancing out the window, she noticed that the plane was descending. "So, with what I know, I have to believe that Simon Walker is the father of my baby."

Sark didn't respond.

"Sark?"

"I need to go now Sydney. I'll see you in a little while."

"Sark, please don't judge me for this…"

"I'm not judging you Sydney. This news was unexpected. It will take me time to process. I just wish you would have told me earlier." He hung up the phone quickly, leaving her to consider his short temper.

_Why does he care so much? _She couldn't understand his response to her news. _It's not like it involves him at all! This is my life, and beyond work, he doesn't need to be concerned about it. So why does it matter that I took so long to tell him? _


	55. The Passenger

"Stop it."

"Stop what?"

"You're staring at me!" Sydney growled.

"No I am not." Sark protested.

"Sark, I can feel your eyes on me!"

"Fine, I am, but it's just unusual to see you in my car…"

"You're staring at my stomach. You can't get over me being pregnant." Sydney argued. "I knew I shouldn't have come here! I should have stayed in LA and never told you about this…"

"Sydney, I'm staring at you because I think you're beautiful." Sark answered unexpectedly. Sydney didn't know what to say. She hadn't been anticipating a response like that from him.

"I'm sorry, can you repeat that?"

He hesitated briefly and cleared his throat. "I think you look beautiful. Motherhood agrees with you."

"Motherhood." Sydney repeated slowly. The word sounded strange. "I'm pregnant Sark. I'm not a mother."

"Oh." He frowned. "I sort of assumed the two were correlated."

"They don't have to be." Sydney replied curtly. "I'm not going to keep the baby."

"Oh?"

"Stop it."

"Now what?"

"I can tell with that tone of voice that you're judging me!" Sydney lectured. "I know what I'm doing. I've thought about this a lot, and it is the only solution."

"Solution?"

"You wouldn't understand. You couldn't." Her eyes burned with an overwhelming desire to release tears, but she refused to let Sark see her cry. "You don't know what it's been like to spend the past seven months with a child growing inside of me and the most likely candidate for the father being a sleazy bastard I can barely remember. I don't even remember what sort of relationship we had. Did he even care about me?"

"Mr. Walker was very interested in you."

"Interested?" Sydney tried out Sark's word choice. "That's a strange way to put it."

"Well, I'm not sure what to say. I have never been privy to the details of your relationship, except for what I witnessed with my own eyes the first time that I met you as Julia Thorne." Sark told her. "When I observed the two of you together, he was very protective of you, actually he was possessive, aggressively even."

"Aggressively? How so?"

"Well, he was always very firm with you."

"You mean bossy?"

"Yes, and physically." He paused. "I didn't like the way that he treated you, and I could tell that it infuriated you as well."

"Then we clearly couldn't have had a very positive relationship."

"I'm not so certain." Sark decided. "Mr. Walker's attitude could have been for show just to intimidate me. I am unable to tell you the details of your private lives. He could have perhaps been genuinely good to you."

"I doubt it." Sydney responded. "When I returned to him, trying to get information, I realized that whatever we had was purely physical. He never showed me a hint of consideration or gave me any clue that he might actually care." She paused and then added quietly. "And he hit me."

_Bastard! _Sark looked at her briefly but turned away before she noticed. "What if Mr. Walker isn't the father." He asked suddenly.

"Well, if there is anyone else you think I should be considering for DNA testing then let me know."

_I should tell her. _Sark tried to convince himself, but it didn't feel like the right time. When Sydney learned about their relationship he wanted her to be able to accept it happily. _She wouldn't want to believe it. She won't believe it until she feels for me again like she use to. _

"Sark?" Sydney pressed after his momentary silence.

"No, there's nobody else." He answered quietly. "But I still think you might want to reconsider your choice for the baby."

"Why's that?"

"Because I know you better than you might think. You're not the type to abandon your responsibilities." He reminded her. "Besides, I think you would be an excellent mother."

Sydney smiled. "Thanks. Strangely, it means a lot to hear you say that."

"Well, here we are." Sark pulled the car up to the front of Sloane's office building where valet was waiting to take it off his hands.

"Do you have any clue as to what Sloane wants to see us for?" Sydney asked as the valet opened her car door for her and two men helped her out. She noted how gently they handled her and how cautiously they saw to her. Again she hated the effect that her pregnancy had on other people.

"Not at all." Sark circled the car to join her and escorted her into the building with his hand politely on her back. "Though it must be important. He seemed very urgent. Have you told him about your pregnancy?"

"Yes, he was unfortunately present the first time I told a few people." She hesitated. "But I haven't spoken to him very much since then."

"Well, I'm sure he'll be civil." Sark grinned, and Sydney was again struck by how unusually comforting it was to see him smiling so genuinely.

"Sark, please do me a favor…I know I don't have a right to ask you for anything…"

"Sydney, you can ask me for anything." His fingers rubbed her back soothingly and she smiled slightly at the feeling.

"Don't let Sloane talk too much about my personal life. I don't like him acting like he's a part of it." She sighed. "Obviously he knows that I'm pregnant, but he doesn't have to know who the father is or that I don't plan on keeping it."

"It's not my place to divulge your personal information. As far as it is in my control, I will keep this meeting purely business." Sark assured her as they reached the receptionist's desk. "Julian Sark and Sydney Bristow here to see Arvin Sloane."

The receptionist smiled in recognition and stood. "Follow me please." She entered the office through the door behind her and Sark and Sydney followed. "Mr. Sloane…"

Sloane stood as they entered and dismissed his receptionist with a slight wave of his hand. "Julian, Sydney, it is good to see the two of you together again…professionally speaking of course."

"Hello Arvin." Sark greeted formally, quickly diverting Sydney's attention from Sloane's pointed greeting.

"Sloane." Sydney grunted her unfriendly greeting.

"Sydney, may I saw that you are positively glowing! Motherhood clearly agrees with you." Sloane motioned to the two chairs opposite his desk. "But at this point in the pregnancy you should be off your feet as much as possible."

"She also shouldn't be flying across the world, but you insisted." Sark remarked. "So could we please get on with this meeting?"

"Of course." Sloane moved behind his desk and started sorting through documents. Sark led Sydney to a chair and waited for her to get comfortable before taking his own seat. "Have either of you ever heard of the Di Regno heart?" Sydney shook her head, but Sark was silent. "Ah, Julian, I see your Rambaldi knowledge has impressively grown since you and I were partners."

"Adequate knowledge is essential in my line of work." He replied. "I've never enjoyed having to rely on others for information."

"Okay, but for my sake, let's pretend like we're not all super geniuses." Sydney piped in. "What's this heart thing?"

"The Di Regno heart is meant to be used to power one of Rambaldi's ultimate creations." Sloane explained.

"Which is?" Sydney pressed impatiently. She hated how drawn out Sloane's Rambaldi discussions could be.

"It's called Il Dire." Sark filled in briefly.

Sloane lifted his eyebrow at Sark as though irritated by the interruption in his explanation. Sark quickly silenced and motioned for Sloane to continue. "Il Dire means 'the telling'."

"What's it supposed to tell?" Sydney asked.

Sloane again seemed annoyed by the interruption, but continued calmly. "Il Dire delivers a message directly from Rambaldi."

"What does that mean?"

"Nobody knows the particulars." Sloane continued, more or less ignoring Sydney's interruption. "But Il Dire is supposed to be so powerful and so true that it is as if Rambaldi himself is reaching through the centuries to deliver a message."

"Metaphorically speaking." Sark piped in.

"Okay, so what is this message?" Sydney repeated.

"Nobody knows."

She sighed. "Well that's a lame ending to this legend." She started to stand.

"Or I suppose I should say, nobody knew."

Sydney glanced back at Sloane and sunk back into her chair.

"A short time ago I witnessed Il Dire performing."

Sark sat up a little straighter. "You saw the message? How? When?"

Sydney glanced at him. "You certainly are interested."

"When I was released from CIA custody a few months ago the Covenant had me working on recovering the Di Regno heart in order to utilize Il Dire. They took me off the project before it happened though. You have to understand I was always a little curious about what the outcome would have been."

She nodded. "Of course."

Sloane lifted an eyebrow, unable to overlook how willing Sydney was to accept Sark's explanation. He could see that Sark had managed to regain her trust, even without telling her the truth about their past together. He cleared his throat to continue with his explanation. "The Covenant removed you from the mission because they were lacking confidence in your loyalty. They retained my services however, and those of Bomani. We finished the quest and saw the completion of Il Dire."

"Arvin what did it tell you?" Sark inquired.

"It gave me one word." He stated simply. "After all my years of searching…all the time that I spent on this obsession with Rambaldi, I couldn't believe that this is what it all added up to."

"What was it, Sloane?"

"The word was 'peace'."

"Peace?" Sydney and Sark repeated together.

"I see you share my surprise." Sloane smiled slightly.

"Okay, so this is all fascinating, but I'm still not seeing why it required me flying all the way out here!" Sydney rolled her eyes. "Are you going to make a point that's worth my while?"

"After passing that simple information onto the covenant, I began my own investigation due to my personal skepticism about a single word being the depth of Rambaldi's message." Sloane continued with a nod to Sydney. "Tell me, have either of you heard of something referred to as 'the passenger'?"

Sydney slumped back in her chair, frustrated that he was asking them questions rather than giving them answers.

"I have heard that term before." Sark nodded. "Through the Covenant, of course." He frowned, trying to remember the details. "As far as I could tell the passenger is some form of weapon, is that correct?"

"That is what everyone assumes, however, upon further research I have learned that the message retrieved from Il Dire is actually a microscopic code of sorts." Sloane elaborated. "A DNA code to be more exact."

"DNA? Whose?"

"A woman, as far as I can tell. But that is all I know."

"So, the Passenger actually refers to a person?" Sark clarified.

Sloane nodded. He noted Sydney's pessimistic frown. "I know, you were expecting something more fascinating, but I'm afraid that is as exciting as my news gets."

"No, that can't be it." Sydney insisted. "What did you want us for?"

Sloane nodded. "I had tests run on the DNA, but results gave me multiple identities. Clearly this woman has been working under many aliases, for some time. It is impossible to discover her true identity, or what her purpose is. Now, what I did manage to find, from medical records, is that she was always treated by the same physician, a Doctor Robert Viadro."

"Perfect, so what did this doctor have to say about her?" Sydney pried.

"I don't know." Sloane replied. "I have only just learned this and I wanted to bring the two of you in on it."

"Why?"

"Because I need your help."

"Sloane, you don't need anything. What do you _want_ us for?" Sydney argued.

Sloane folded his hands. "As you may know, my name has developed quite a reputation in the circle of Rambaldi followers. Dr. Viadro is an adamant follower, and unfortunately he will not meet with me."

Sark frowned. "Arvin I could have met with Dr. Viadro for you. Why did you need to call Sydney in for this?"

"Because she likes to be involved, and when it comes to Rambaldi, she is more innately involved than most." Sloane seemed to think that was a sufficient explanation and didn't offer anything else.

Sydney made a slight grunting sound and Sark spoke up as though he had read her thoughts. "She is not connected to Rambaldi. That bloody prophecy doesn't mean anything!"

"Sark…" Sydney smiled at his defensive tone. "It's okay."

"No, it is not." Sark protested. "He had no right to try and drag you into this."

Sloane poured himself a glass of water, patiently letting the two of them have their spat. He politely turned his back to them when Sark reached his hand out and rested it gently on Sydney's arm.

"Sark, I really appreciate your concern, but I'm okay with this. It's actually kind of nice to finally be included in something again. The agency has already put me on bed rest, more or less. They won't let me help with any of the fun cases. It's good to be included in something."

"Good," Sloane turned around. "Then the two of you should set off for Milan instantly."

"Milan?"

"That is where Dr. Viadro lives." Sloane told them.

"Fine. We'll go. We'll figure out what he knows, and then I'm guessing you want us to return to you."

"Yes, Sydney, that would be best."

"Alright, I suppose we have nothing else to discuss here then." Sark stood quickly and offered his hand to Sydney as she stood as well.


	56. Dr Viadro

_A/N: I just wanted to say that I adore all my readers. I love all the passionate responses to my updates, and the reactions to the developments in my story. I know a lot of people are nervous about Sydney giving up her baby, but at this point, how could you blame her? Anyway, I promise she will find out about Sark being the father eventually, but I know how it's going to happen and you'll all just have to be patient, because it takes a little while, and I know it will probably frustrate a lot of people with how delayed it is. You have to understand that Sark is nervous. He's afraid that if he just tells her, she'll resent him somehow (he's paranoid) and then she won't want to be in a relationship with him. He needs her to come to him on her own terms, not because she's pregnant with his baby. Anyway, on top of all that, I want to say THANK YOU for all the reviews! It's almost at 500, which to me is amazing! The only reason this story has gone on for so long is because of the loyalty and genuine interest of my readers! So, thank you, and keep it up!_

………

"How are you holding up?" One quick glance at Sydney's glare warned Sark that he had said the wrong thing. "Never mind, forget I asked…"

"Sark, I told you at the start of this mission that I didn't want to be babied. Just because I'm having a baby doesn't mean I've become one. I am more than capable of doing my job!" Sydney lectured him. "I know that I've slowed down a little bit, and gotten fatter, but I'm still plenty able to work!"

"I have no doubt of your abilities Sydney." Sark smiled at her reassuringly. "And you are not fat. You are pregnant. There is a difference."

She grinned. "Thank you for pointing that out."

He hesitated. "Though, I do have to inform you that I have my concerns. I know that you are strong and determined, but you also have a child growing inside of you. That requires a little consideration, whether you want to admit it or not."

She sighed and tugged at her shirt, trying to stretch it out more over her stomach. "I am considering it."

"I don't like that Arvin is making you be a part of this project. I don't see why it is necessary for you to accompany me all the way here to Milan."

"Would you rather I hadn't come?" She asked suddenly.

"What?" He shook his head and answered her more quickly than necessary. "Of course not! I am overjoyed with having you here with me." He noted the smile in her eyes and felt certain that she was equally happy about being with him, but decided not to mention it. "If, however, you find yourself a little tired or uncomfortable at any point, please let me know. Don't be stubborn."

Sydney fixed her eyes firmly ahead so he wouldn't be able to read her expression. She knew he was good at that. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For caring."

Sark inwardly smiled, content with how gratefully she had accepted his concern for her. "Always."

Sydney felt her heart beating a little faster as Sark's voice tone changed slightly. He made her anxious, in a good excited way. It was a way she hadn't felt around anyone for a long time. A frown creased her forehead briefly. _Not even with Vaughan. _It surprised her, as she took a moment to think about it, that she couldn't remember ever having this feeling around Vaughan. She cared about him deeply, that was certain, she possibly even loved him, but it wasn't a thrilling and heart-stopping love. It was sophisticated and careful, always careful. She and Vaughan had never taken risks with their relationship; work came first. They had had a comfortable relationship, but it hadn't been very exciting. It was safe and predictable. _Ultimately it would have been a bit of a letdown. _

Sydney glanced at Sark and slowly let her eyes roam. She analyzed every aspect of him, feeling as though she had done it before. Her eyes started at his broad hands, directing the steering wheel with casual confidence. Then they moved up his arm, noting how relaxed he looked in the black button-up shirt; she liked how the top button was undone and he wasn't wearing a tie. Vaughan always wore ties. Next her eyes traveled up his neck to his gentle, but sharp jaw line, and onto his thin lips. He rarely smiled, but she knew that when he did he had the slightest dimple on only one side. She realized that she liked that, and she actually found herself often trying to make him smile just so she could see it. She finished his profile with his eyes. They were the most transfixing aspect of him. The brilliant blue hue overwhelmed her and often made her lose her thoughts. _Why haven't I ever thought about how good looking he was before? _

"Sydney…"

"Yea?" she quickly shut off her thoughts of admiration.

"I can feel you looking at me." He smiled as he glanced at her and again she felt her heartbeat quicken. "Did you want to ask me something?"

"No…" She shook her head and turned away from him. "My mind was just wandering."

"All right." He returned his attention to the road as he pulled into a winding driveway of an impressively large estate. "We're here."

"This is where Dr. Viadro lives?"

"Apparently."

"He must be a very successful doctor."

Sark parked in front of the door and hurried out of the car to help Sydney. "I don't think doctoring is all he does."

"Oh?"

Sark pointed to a symbol carved into the doorframe.

"Rambaldi." Sydney muttered. "I dislike him already." She stepped ahead of Sark and placed her hand on the doorknob, forgetting that it would be proper to knock first. The door swung open at her touch. "Umm…that's strange."

"Be cautious." Sark warned her as he quickly stepped ahead of her and withdrew his gun. "And please, do me one favor and stay behind me." She obliged, surprisingly without a fuss, but also withdrew her own gun. "There's someone upstairs." He whispered to her as he headed toward the circular stairway straight ahead of them, across the marble foyer.

"Look!" Sydney touched his arm as he started up the stairs and pointed to a cabinet across from them. She hurried over to inspect it and he followed her protectively. There were four shelves filled with Rambaldi artifacts. "Do you think he's just a collector, or something more?"

"I say we find out." Sark abandoned the cabinet and headed back to the stairs. Sydney followed him.

They crept up the stairs carefully, alert for any noise that might betray the presence of someone else. They heard a noise coming steadily from a room at the end of the hallway and so they followed it curiously. At the end of the hallway they reached a door. It was shut, but the noise they were hearing was definitely coming from inside the room.

Sark placed himself in front of Sydney. "Let me go in first, please!"

"Sark…" She started to protest, but his eyes expressed his genuine concern and she couldn't argue. "You have a twenty second head start."

He grinned. "Fine." He tried opening the door but it was locked. He slammed his body against it at full force but it held fast. They pressed their ears up to the door and heard unmistakable sounds of grunting and struggling. "Step back." Sark aimed his gun at the lock and shot it open. He barged into the room while Sydney obediently stayed outside. She counted to twenty before following him inside.

Sark was bent over a man who was bound to a chair by his hands and feet. His mouth was gagged and his body showed evidence of severe torture. The moment Sark had freed the doctor's mouth he demanded answers. "Who did this to you?"

The doctor seemed unable to keep his head up because his chin dropped to his chest as he tried to mumble a response. "The Passenger…"

"The Passenger did this to you?" Sark questioned. He started untying the doctor.

Dr. Viadro shook his head feebly. "I have betrayed her."

"Who?" Sark asked. "The Passenger?"

"I have betrayed her." The doctor repeated hopelessly.

"Betrayed who?" Sark repeated.

"Years spent protecting her, and now she's alone…"

Sydney thought he might be crying.

"Who's she?" Sark asked again. "Who are you protecting?" He carefully, but firmly lifted the doctor's chin to achieve eye contact.

The doctor's eyes drifted toward Sydney and he gasped, pulling away from Sark instantly. "You're the one…"

Sark glanced at Sydney and noticed the panic in her eyes.

"The one from the prophecy…" He lunged at her weakly, but successfully grabbed her gun.

"Wait! What are you…" Sydney was too puzzled to react.

"Drop it!" Sark aimed his gun at the doctor, determined to protect Sydney.

Dr. Viadro ignored Sark entirely. His focus was only on Sydney. "You will not hurt her…" His fingers fiddled with the trigger, but before he had a chance Sark pulled his own trigger and a bullet lodged itself fatally in the doctor's brain.

It took a moment for Sydney to comprehend what had happened, and before she had recovered, Sark was at her side, offering her his arm for stability. "I had to do it Sydney. He was going to shoot you."

"I know." She nodded. "What I don't know is why."

"Why what?"

"Why did he want to kill me? Who is he trying to protect…from me?"

"I think he's trying to protect the passenger."

"But what do I have to do with her? I don't even know who she is!" Sydney felt more emotional about the situation than she knew she should have, and she blamed her out-of-whack hormones.

"Sydney, I wish I had answers for you." She felt his hand on her back and found it very comforting. "Perhaps we could research this. We can take a break from our work on the Covenant, and put all our energy into the Passenger."

Sydney nodded. "When I get back to LA, I should discuss it with my dad. He always seems to know something about everything."

Sark paused. He hadn't thought of her returning to LA so soon. He had taken it for granted that they were working together, side-by-side, again, and he didn't want it to end. Especially now that he knew she was pregnant, most likely with his child. He wanted to be there for her, and be a part of the experience, but without her knowing the truth, he knew it would be impossible.

"We should probably leave. He is bound to have some form of security that will show up eventually." Sark decided quickly. He picked up Sydney's gun and led her back out to the car.

"Thank you, by the way."

"For what?"

"For saving my life."


	57. Weekend Companion

"So, you have decided to confide in me now?"

"Dad, I told you before I left that I wasn't trying to keep you in the dark, it was just something that I needed to take care of on my own." Sydney reassured him. "But now that it's done, I need your help."

"Fine." Jack nodded. "What do you need?"

"All the information you have on the passenger."

"The passenger?" Jack repeated.

"Have you ever heard of her?"

"Her?"

"Stop repeating everything I've said.

"I'm sorry, but I have heard of the passenger, I was just never informed that it was a woman, or a person for that matter."

"Well it is, or she is I should say." Sydney started to explain. "What can you tell me about her?"

"Unfortunately not very much. In fact, you probably know more than I do." Jack replied. "But I can find out for you."

Sydney nodded. "I was hoping you would."

"Sydney, if I am going to help you out with this, I need you to trust me enough to tell me why I am doing this."

"I know." She sighed. "It's Sloane."

"Sloane? What does he have to do with any of this?"

"That's where I was. I went to Zurich." She paused. "I went to see Sloane."

"Sydney! How could you have done that without talking to me?" Jack demanded. "Do you know how dangerous that could have been for you? Not only are you seven months pregnant, and not supposed to fly, but lately you have had an unfortunate habit of being kidnapped and losing your memory!"

"Thank you, I remember. I was fine though. I needed to go to him."

"Why?"

"Because he asked me to. He said he needed me."

"And so you went to him, just like that?" Jack shook his head. "Sloane has no right to call you personally and demand things of you!"

"Actually he didn't call me."

"Oh?"

"Sark called me with a message from Sloane."

"Sark?"

"I know how it sounds, but he isn't a threat to me."

"There is no way for you to be certain of that Sydney! He is a terrorist!"

"He saved my life."

"What?"

"On the mission…"

"The mission? Sydney, I thought you said Sloane just wanted to talk to you!"

"He did, at first, and then he asked Sark and I to take care of something for him. Don't worry it went fine."

"You said that Sark saved your life. That implies that things were not fine." Jack reprimanded her. "Sydney, I used to have confidence in your mental reasoning but for the last few months I have begun to doubt your decisions!"

"Dad, I can take care of myself." _Especially when Sark's with me. _Sydney felt an urge to smile as she thought about Sark, but fought the instinct. "What I can't do is get information on the passenger alone. Are you going to help me or not?"

"Of course I will help you Sydney. I just wish you would take more time to consider all the consequences of your actions."

"Dad, I was considering my actions." She paused. "I know that what I did doesn't sound good, but I need you to trust me. I know what I'm doing."

"Sydney, please remember who you are dealing with."

"Dad, I've been dealing with Sloane for years. I know how to handle him."

"I'm not talking about Sloan." Jack corrected her. "Sydney, I'm referring to Julian Sark."

She nodded. "I trust him."

"Do you?"

"Yes." She answered without any hesitation. Ever since Zurich, Sydney had been realizing more and more how much she trusted Sark. Strangely he was quickly becoming the person that she turned to whenever she needed someone to talk to or to confide in. She smiled to herself at the realization. "I trust him completely."

Jack sighed. "Then I suppose I have no choice but to trust your opinion."

"Thank you dad." She smiled gratefully.

"I have been in contact with your mother lately."

"Mom?" Sydney questioned. "What does she want?"

"We haven't been discussing anything serious. Mainly she asks about you." He told her. "Ever since we started working together to find you when you went missing, she has made an effort to keep in touch, to see how you are holding up."

"Really?" Sydney felt excited to hear that her mom was so interested in her well being.

"Anyway, I can ask her. She might know something more about the passenger. You know how many contacts she has." Jack decided. "I'll let you know what I find out."

"Thank you dad!" Sydney impulsively hugged her father and he tried to return it without appearing awkward, but it was so unexpected he wasn't quite sure how to respond. "So, you'll give me a call when you know something?"

"The moment I learn anything." He assured her.

………

"Syd, you look a little white…" Sark analyzed her face anxiously. "Are you feeling alright?"

She nodded. "Yea, of course."

"You're lying to me, Sydney."

"How can you tell?"

"I can always tell when you're lying." He responded gently. "You're smile is forced and you're dimples aren't there."

"Oh…" Sydney wasn't quite sure how to reply to his response. The fact that he knew her expressions so well was strange, but very relaxing. Every second that he spent with her, she felt more comfortable with him. His personality was charming, and he had a way of making her feel so at ease.

"So, are you going to tell me how you're really doing?" He inquired.

"Okay, I'm not feeling a hundred percent." She admitted. "I'm actually feeling a little crappy."

He sighed. "I thought so. And I'm not the least bit surprised. You've been working on these files for hours, and you've barely eaten today at all!" He took the files away from her. "You need to rest and keep up your strength. And eat something! You're providing for two now, remember?"

Sydney smiled. "Yes Sir, I do remember. It's a little hard to forget. I have a stomach the size of an overgrown watermelon and my lower back is killing me!"

"And you're starting to waddle." He grinned.

Sydney gasped. "I do not waddle!"

"Yes you do. Miss Bristow, you waddle like a duck."

"Take it back!" She pushed herself up out of her chair and attempted to walk the length of the living room. "I walk perfectly normal." He watched her for a moment before he started laughing. Sydney turned to glare at him, realizing that she was walking abnormally. "Stop mocking me. You don't want to mess with a pregnant woman's hormones."

"Sydney, you're eight months pregnant. It's perfectly normal for you to be feeling worn out." He crossed the living room to her and took her hands, slowly leading her over to the couch. "Please, give yourself a break."

Sydney sat down obligingly and smiled up at him. "Sark, why are you taking such good care of me?"

"Because I find your fragility charming."

"Fragile?" She glared at him teasingly. "I am strong and tough, and if I wanted to, I could beat you up so badly you'd be crying!"

He tried desperately not to laugh at her threat, but he didn't succeed. "I'm sorry Sydney, I don't mean to laugh, but you can barely sit up on your own!" He smiled down at her and then, debating briefly, sat down on the couch beside her, still holding her hands. Taking a more serious tone he spoke to her cautiously. "I am taking care of you, because nobody should go through something like this alone. I suppose in a way, I am filling in for the man that should be here." _I hate that it could be him. _In his heart, Sark wanted to believe that the baby was his, but with her thinking it was Simon's, he couldn't be positive. He knew that he had loved her alone, and he believed she had felt the same about him, but he had no way of being absolutely certain that she hadn't had an affair with Simon.

"I don't know if I'll ever understand you." Sydney sighed, slowly letting herself relax into the couch, slightly leaning against him. "I've always thought you were nothing but a monster."

He laughed slightly. "Thank you."

"That wasn't a compliment." She grinned as she entwined her fingers with his, loving the way that her hands felt in his. His skin was soft, but not feminine, and he had a couple of minor calluses on the pads of his fingers. She wondered if he'd ever played an instrument.

"Yes, I realize that being called a 'monster' is not a compliment, but I assumed that the next part of your sentence would involve a compliment."

"Well, then I guess I shouldn't disappoint you." She readjusted her position, making herself more comfortable and Sark quickly adjusted himself as well so that she could lean against him. "You're not a monster, Sark. You're actually really nice. You're surprisingly considerate, and gentle, and…"

"And outstandingly handsome?" He added.

Sydney grinned. "Let's just say you're not unattractive."

"I'll settle for that." He started rubbing his thumb across the palm of her hand. She caught her breath suddenly. The action felt familiar.

"Sark…"

"Yea?"

She hesitated. What she wanted to ask him was too bold. It couldn't be true and he might think she was stupid for asking. _We could never have been in a relationship. It's impossible! We both would have understood how ridiculous a relationship between us would be…we never would have attempted it…_She sighed.

"Sydney, is there something you want to ask me?"

"No."

"Okay." He knew she was hiding something, but he decided not to press the matter. "Sydney, what happens if someone comes to check on you?"

"What?"

"Well, perhaps I am wrong, but I assume you did not tell anyone that I would be staying here with you this weekend."

"True. I doubt that would have gone over well." She laughed at the thought of trying to explain to her dad or to Vaughn. "I told everyone that I needed a weekend alone to rest, so they shouldn't bother me."

"But if they do?"

"You can hide." She laughed.

"You're not joking, are you?"

"No, not really. I'm sorry, but they would never accept you. They wouldn't understand you like I do." She explained. "It's taken me a while to be able to see who you really are, and realize that underneath your professionally violent exterior, you really are a good man."

"I've been told so before."

"Really?" She nodded. "Was it me?"

"Yes, it was."

She was quiet for a minute. She felt a jolt in her stomach from the baby and flinched.

"Is something wrong?"

"No. It's just the baby." She smiled. "Do you want to feel it?"

"Absolutely!" He let her guide his hand to the baby's kicking foot. She held his hand flat against her stomach and they waited silently. When it kicked he jumped in surprise. "That's incredible."

"Isn't it?"

"I've never considered how amazing the process of a baby actually is." He spread out his fingers and gently slid his hand over her stomach. "There is a little human alive inside of you right now, waiting to come into the world."

"Yep, that's how it works." She placed her hand over his instinctively. She wasn't thinking about her actions, but just doing what felt right. "Sark…"

"Yes?"

"I wish I would have known you earlier."

He sighed. _I wish you could remember._ "Me too, Sydney."

She felt so comfortable that for a minute she thought she might be able to fall asleep in his arms without even considering how strange that should be for her. The next moment however, his phone rang, interrupting her serenity.

"Do you mind if I answer?" He asked as he fished into his jacket pocket to retrieve the cell.

"Not at all." She adjusted her position slightly so he could access his phone.

"I'll put it on speaker." He told her, remembering their old pact to always keep things open between each other. He wondered if they would ever reach that level of intimate trust again.

"You don't have to Sark." She smiled. "If it's private I mean, it's not necessary for me to be a part of it."

He sighed. "I'm not keeping any secrets from you, Sydney." He answered the phone quickly, pressing the button for the speaker, without checking the ID. "Hello."

"Hello Julian, it's good to hear your voice."

Sydney gasped, covering her mouth with her hand quickly to stifle the noise.

"Hello Irena." He sighed. "These random calls from you are starting to become redundant."

Sydney frowned. _I wonder how often she calls him. _

"Julian, Sydney's father has been in contact with me. He's asking me information concerning the passenger. According to him, you and Sydney are working together again."

"One mission is hardly working together." Sark stated.

"One mission? Is that all it has been?" Irena questioned pointedly.

Sark nudged Sydney and questioned her with his eyebrows. She shrugged and so he replied to Irena's question more truthfully. "All right, we have been working together for a little while, and no just concerning the passenger."

"Oh?" Irena pried.

"We have been working together to try and recover her forgotten memories." Sark explained briefly.

"I'm sure that has been very interesting."

"Irena, what are you calling for?"

"I just wanted to inform you that I am aware you lied to me." Sydney frowned, curious as to what Irena was referring to. "And I am not pleased, but I suppose I understand. You thought you were protecting Sydney by hiding her from me, which I suppose I can even appreciate considering all I have ever wanted is for my daughter to be safe."

"Irena…"

"Julian, a few months ago I called you and asked if you knew where my daughter was and you played dumb with me. I have since learned that the two of you were working together then, so I am aware that you told me a lie, most likely thinking that you were protecting her from me."

"I lied to you because she asked me to." Sark stated simply.

Sydney sat up and moved to the other end of the couch to think as Sark continued his conversation with her mother.

"Well, regardless of your reasons, you lied to me, and now you owe me."

"I owe you?" Sark repeated.

"Yes, and I am asking you, as a personal favor, stop researching the passenger."

Sydney and Sark frowned. "What concern is that of yours?"

"Julian, I asked you politely." Irena's voice did not sound very polite. "Give up this mission that Sloane has given you. It will lead nowhere good." She clicked off the phone without another word.

"Sark, I need an explanation from you."

"About what? I thought I was pretty clear on everything I said on the phone."

"Why didn't you ever tell me that my mother contacted you when we were working together?"

"I'm sorry Sydney, it didn't seem very crucial to your memories."

Sydney squeezed her eyes shut suddenly as an image flashed into her mind. She blinked and shook her head. _It doesn't make any sense…_she hated how indescribable her brief memory flashes were. They were all so random and sporadic, she never even could be certain if they were real or not.

"Sydney, is everything okay?"

"Crème brulee." She muttered.

"I'm sorry?"

"Never mind."

"No, what did you say?" He pressed.

"I have a memory of crème brulee."

"Oh?"

"Well, not a memory really, just the words…I can hear them." She frowned. "I hear you saying them." She laughed a little. "I'm sorry, it's stupid, isn't it?"

"Tell me exactly what you remember."

Sydney shrugged. "Something about a cook making crème brulee…" She sighed. "I'm sorry, but I don't really have anything solid. Sometimes things just flash into my head. I never even know where they come from or what they're connected to."

He smiled though. "The last time your mother called, you were with me. It was actually very similar to this time. I had the conversation on speakerphone so you could hear the conversation. After the conversation I mentioned to you that my cook had made us crème brulee for dessert."

Sydney smiled. "I remembered that."

"Yes you did. All on your own." He grinned, but it wasn't fully genuine. He hated that she could recall the mention of the dessert but she couldn't remember the sincere conversation they had been sharing or the incredible sex that had taken priority over the dessert.

"Sark, is there something else on your mind?"

"Other than the fact that your mother just told us to stop investigating the passenger? No, nothing." He quickly covered.

"Yea, why would she have said that?"

"I have no idea. Perhaps we should discuss it with Sloane."

"Yea, maybe so." She glanced at the clock on the mantle. "Wow, it's a lot later than I realized. Now I know why I'm so tired."

Sark followed her gaze. "You should get to bed. You need your rest." Sydney narrowed her eyes at him and he held up his hands defensively. "I'm sorry, I'm not trying to baby you! I need my rest too!"

"Nice save." She laughed and struggled to stand. He quickly jumped off the couch and helped her to her feet. "Are you sure the couch is okay? It's not very comfortable…"

"Well, where else would I sleep?"

Sydney hesitated. "I don't know. I mean, if you wanted to, you could sleep with me…" Awkward silence followed. "I did not mean that the way it sounded…I meant just sleep. My bed is big enough for both of us. It would be a lot more comfortable than the couch."

Sark smiled. "Sydney you're eight months pregnant, what else could you have meant?"

She laughed a little. _What if I weren't pregnant…_she decided that she did not have the energy to follow that thought right now. "So?"

"Are you sure you wouldn't mind?"

"No, it's fine. That's why I suggested it."

He nodded and started following her upstairs to the bedroom. "Sydney, may I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"Why did you call me this weekend?"

"What?"

"When you called me last night and asked me to come out for the weekend I didn't argue, because I wanted to see you, but it has been bothering me ever since." Sark explained. "Why did you call me? All that you told me was you were taking the weekend off from work and wanted some company. Why me? And why are you taking the weekend off?"

Sydney hesitated. "I'm taking the weekend off because I've been feeling a little exhausted ever since I got back from Zurich. It's been a week but I still feel like I'm recovering from that trip. I called you because I didn't want to be alone and because…you were the first person that I thought of."

Sark smiled. "Thank you for thinking of me."

Sydney returned his smile. _I'm always thinking about you._

………

_A/N: Okay, I felt like this part was a little cheesy, but I couldn't resist. Anyway, I'm really excited because she'll be having her baby soon! I'm sick of her being pregnant…haha. I wonder if anyone else is feeling that way…Thanks again for all the lovely reviews! _


	58. Surprise Dinner Guest

_A/N: Hope you all enjoy. It's not that eventful, but unfortunately it's going to be the last one for a little while probably. I have 2 weeks of finals but then I'm free for the summer! Maybe I can fit some writing time in, but I'm not promising anything! Thanks for all the reviews and keep them coming! _

"Sydney!"

"Dad…" Sydney smiled as her dad caught up to her outside the main conference room. She was on her way to Dixon's office to discuss her maternity leave with him, but she easily made time for her father, since she wasn't exactly looking forward to the discussion anyway.

"Are you free?"

"Umm, it depends on what you mean by free?" Sydney glanced at her watch. "I'm suppose to be having a meeting with Dixon, but if it's important, I can reschedule."

Her father shook his head. "No, you should keep the meeting. I know how much you're looking forward to it." He smiled slightly and she rolled her eyes at his sense of humor.

"Okay, I'll meet with him now, it shouldn't take more than fifteen minutes."

"Then I will meet you at your desk in thirty minutes and we'll take a lunch break." Jack decided. "Will that work with your schedule?"

"It sounds perfect." Sydney continued to Dixon's office.

He was waiting for her at the door and smiled as she approached. "How are you today, Sydney?"

"Dixon, do me a favor and don't patronize me. I know that I am going to have to stop coming in to work soon because I am getting closer to my due date, but after I have the baby I intend to be right back at work. This isn't going to prohibit me at all. Understood?" She sat down in one of the chairs opposite his at the desk.

"Okay, thank you for that introduction." Dixon took his own seat. "Now, how are you? I haven't seen you yet today!"

She smiled. "I'm fine."

"Good, now let's get down to business."

"When is your due date?"

"Roughly two weeks from now."

"Then this will be your last week coming into the office until after the delivery." Dixon decided. "In fact, I wouldn't protest if you chose to make today your last day."

"Dixon, I'm plenty capable of coming into work for the next week."

"Fine. And after the delivery, you may take off as much time as you feel necessary…"

"No time will be necessary." She told him quickly.

"But, what about…"

"Dixon, I'm not keeping the baby." Sydney spoke up. "I'm not sure if you'd been informed of that decision, but it's the one I made, so I won't be needing to take any time off."

Dixon paused. "I had heard, but I wasn't sure if you were still going through with it."

"I am." She answered after a brief hesitation.

"I see. Well, even so, if you need any time off to recover…"

"Dixon I appreciate it, but after this is all over with I'd really just like to get back to my life."

"Very well, then I will expect you back here within two days of the delivery." Dixon decided.

"Great." Sydney stood. "I assume we're finished here."

"Yes we are."

"Good, then I'm going on lunch break. My dad asked to talk with me about something."

"Enjoy your lunch." Dixon dismissed her from the office with a nod.

Twenty minutes later Sydney was sitting across from her father at an outdoor table at an Italian bistro of his choosing. They started by having only mundane conversation, and it wasn't until after their salads had come that he started the serious part of the conversation.

"After you asked for my help on the passenger, I contacted your mother for her assistance." Jack began.

"And did she help you?"

Jack shook his head. "The way we've always connected to each other was through a secure line in a public chat room. The moment I asked her about the passenger she severed our connection. I have no way of contacting her anymore."

"What?" Sydney frowned. "That doesn't make any sense."

"I know. It left me puzzled as well."

Sydney hesitated. "Actually, it does make sense."

"How?"

"Mom called Sark."

"What?"

Sydney wasn't sure how much to tell her dad. She decided to give him an edited version of the truth. "After you asked her about the passenger she called Sark and warned him off the mission, and then he _called_ me…"

"I see."

"It doesn't make any sense. Sloane and mom use to be partners. Why would he be asking us to pursue something that she is so adamantly against?"

"They are not partners anymore. They haven't been for a while." Jack reminded her.

"I know, but even so, in the past their priorities have often overlapped."

"Obviously not this time." Jack shrugged. "Anyhow, if you are still interested in pursuing this I will help you if I can, though it will take longer since I can no loner rely on your mother for information."

"I am going to pursue it. Sark and I already discussed it." She told him. "If you are willing, I could definitely still use your help."

"Then I will do everything I can."

"Thanks."

…………

Sark felt a little invasive wandering around Sydney's house, investigating her private life, but his curiosity was overwhelming. Throughout the entire time that he and Sydney had been together, he had never been privy to her real life. The extent to which he had seen her private life consisted of conversations and emotions. He had no knowledge of the materialistic aspect of her private life because she had been forced to keep up the façade of Julia Thorne for the sake of the Covenant. Being in LA and seeing the details of where she lived was a refreshing and exciting experience.

He had become fascinated with a framed photograph of Sydney and Will and Francie on the mantel above the fireplace in the living room. She looked so natural and happy. It had been a long time since he had seen her smile that genuinely and he wished he could make her that happy again. He longed to be the origin of her delight, but everything in her life had been so serious lately he didn't know how to help her. He missed her being happy. He missed her laughter and he missed the hugs she would spontaneously give him when feeling extra excited about something.

Sark had just decided to start preparing a special dinner for Sydney when she came home from work, when the opening of the front door interrupted him. He smiled instinctively, automatically assuming that it was Sydney coming home early from the office. He abandoned the kitchen and hurried into the front room to greet her, and was stopped short by the surprise.

"Sark!"

Sark stared at the dark-haired man who was instinctively pulling a gun from the holster attached to his belt. "Don't move!"

"You're Eric Weiss, aren't you?" Sark held up his hands to show the intruder that he meant no harm. "Please, don't shoot. I'm not armed!"

"What the hell are you doing here?" Weiss kept his gun aimed squarely at Sark. "You have three seconds to give me an explanation or you are very dead!"

"I am not causing any trouble…you have no reason to be concerned! You have my word!"

"Your word?" Weiss scoffed. "That has no value for me. Tell me what you're doing here in Agent Bristow's house! How do you even know where she lives?"

Sark hesitated. He warned Sydney that his being there could cause problems, but she was optimistic and a very stubborn woman. "Agent Weiss, I assure you, once again, that I mean no harm!"

"You are a terrorist!" Weiss exclaimed. "You're like Sloane's little puppet!"

"I am not a puppet!" Sark protested quickly. It was probably a little irrational to be offended by something like that at this moment, but he didn't like being negatively connected to Sloane. "Could you please stop pointing your gun at me!"

"No!" Weiss shouted. "Umm, get down on your knees and put your hands behind your head."

"Are you seriously thinking about arresting me?" Sark frowned. "I haven't done anything!"

"I doubt Agent Bristow would feel the same if she knew that you were sneaking around her house!"

"Actually, I'm quite certain that she would tell you to put away your gun."

"Down on your knees!" Weiss persisted.

Sark complied, slowly dropping down onto his knees and placing his hands obediently behind his head. "Please, perhaps if you call Sydney, she could explain all of this…"

"Sydney?" Weiss exploded. "Are you implying that she is aware of your presence in her house?"

Sark nodded. "I'm implying something of that sort…I suppose…really I would feel much better if you discussed this with her."

Weiss hesitated and then shook his head. "No, you're lying! You're trying to distract me so you can escape. It won't work. I'm taking you in, you lying bastard!"

Sark sighed, realizing that Sydney might be angry for what he was about to do, but he saw no other option. "I am going to reach into my pocket and pull out my cell phone…" He slowly started to do as he said.

Weiss kept his gun aimed at him. "Don't try anything…"

"It's just a phone." He assured him as he pulled out the cell phone. "I am going to call Sydney and let her explain everything to you. Will that be good for you?" He started dialing Sydney's cell number from memory and pressed the button for the speakerphone so Weiss could hear the entire conversation.

"Hello?" Sydney answered on the first ring and Sark knew she hadn't had time to check the caller ID.

"Sydney, it's me." Sark held the phone out for Weiss to hear as he spoke to Sydney.

"Oh hey Sark!" Sydney answered, her tone instantly changing from a little frantic to calm and excited. "I know I told you I wouldn't be home until after six, but good news, I was able to get off early and I should be back in about an hour!"

"Oh? That's good news!" Sark tried to continue the conversation so that Weiss would understand that Sydney was more than okay with him being at her house. "Then that dinner that I was planning on cooking for you really will be a good idea."

"You're going to cook me dinner?" Sydney asked. "Whatever have I done to deserve such treatment?"

"Well, you've been good about letting me stay here with you…" He prompted. Weiss' expression changed slightly, showing his curiosity for what Sydney's answer would be.

"Oh yes, you've been such a nuisance, bringing me coffee in bed every morning and having the whole house clean when I come back from work…" She laughed. "Do you need me to pick anything up from the store, or do we have it all there?"

"I think we've got everything covered." Sark informed her.

"Great! I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Yes Sydney, I will be waiting." Sark clicked off the phone and returned it to his jacket pocket. "Does that satisfy you Agent Weiss?"

Weiss didn't know how to react. "I…I don't understand. How long have you been staying here?"

"Four days." Sark replied quickly. "But really, I don't feel comfortable saying anything else about this without Sydney present. She has been so concerned with people finding out…"

"Finding out?" Weiss repeated. "What is there exactly to find out?" He still held his gun out, but it was lowered slightly to a less threatening position.

"Nothing I suppose." Sark hesitated. "She just asked me to come and stay with her for a few days. She was lonely."

"Lonely? But she has us."

"You mean you? And her father? And Michael Vaughn?" Sark shook his head.

"Stop talking!" Weiss growled. "Sydney doesn't need you. You think that because the two of you worked together for a couple months, you have any claims to friendship with her? You know that's ridiculous!"

"You are aware of mine and Sydney's partnership?" Sark was a little surprised.

"She's mentioned it before, yes." Weiss confirmed. "But she hardly gave me reason to believe that the two of you have continued communication since she has been back from her time with the Covenant."

"She didn't think you all would accept it." Sark explained simply. He still hand his hands held behind his head, but he was starting to get tired of the position. "May I move, or do you still want to shoot me?"

"I definitely want to shoot you." Weiss decided. He finally lowered his gun. "But I have a feeling that Sydney wouldn't exactly appreciate it if I did that. Take a seat on the couch. We'll wait together until Sydney gets home and then I'll get answers from her."

"Actually, instead of sitting and waiting, could I be making dinner? I promised her I would have it ready, and she's so hormonal with her pregnancy and everything, I wouldn't want to disappoint her." Sark offered a slight smile.

Weiss was momentarily stunned by how kind Sark was being, and how much he seemed to care about Sydney. He pushed the thought out of his mind, telling himself that it wasn't possible for Julian Sark to have any sort of heart.

"Agent Weiss, please. I know you don't trust me, but I'm not lying to you." Sark insisted. "I'm not going to harm you or Sydney. I would never hurt Sydney."

Weiss frowned, but decided not to argue what he couldn't understand. "Fine. We'll go in the kitchen and you can make your dinner, but I will keep the gun on you at all times and if you try anything I will be more than happy to shoot you!"

"Your threat is well heard and understood." Sark assured him, though he didn't actually feel that threatened because instinctively he felt sure that Weiss wouldn't' actually hurt him without Sydney's permission. "Do you intend to stay for dinner, Agent Weiss?"

Weiss frowned. "Are you inviting me to have dinner with you and Sydney? I'm sorry, I don't want to hear you speaking as if you had some sort of rights to this house, or Sydney's life!"

"My apologies. I never intended to make it sound like that." Sark smiled to himself as he headed into the kitchen. "I simply was wondering if I should make dinner for two or for three."

"Make it for two, me and Sydney. You're not going to be staying." Weiss decided firmly.

"Three it is then." Sark responded


	59. Until later

_A/N: So, I lied. I was being totally bad over the weekend and writing instead of studying. Now I'll probably fail all my finals, but at least I'm happy and have a new update! And by the way, I've passed 500 reviews, and I am ecstatic! Thank you all so much! Just a teaser…the next update will have baby!_

"Hey, Sark, where are you?" Sydney called out as she entered the house, a little past an hour after her phone call with him. "I know you told me not to pick up anything from the market, but on the way home I was having an insane craving for mint chocolate chip ice cream with chocolate syrup and Oreos. I know it sounds disgustingly chocolaty, but I can't help it, these cravings are overwhelming!"

"I'm in the dining room. There's something you need to see." Sark responded loudly.

"I am on my way, I'm just trying to get my jacket off…it's a little difficult…" She struggled slightly, trying to remove the jacket while still holding her bag of groceries.

"Sydney, come in here and I will help you out of it." Sark offered.

"Oh, thank you!" She stopped struggling and hurriedly wobbled into the dining room in search of Sark. She halted suddenly in the doorway, realizing that Sark was not alone. "Eric!"

"Hello Sydney."

"What the hell are you doing here?" Sydney didn't mean to sound angry, but Weiss's presence was so unexpected she couldn't respond rationally.

"I came by to check on you, because I had heard that you left the office early and I wanted to see if you needed anything." Weiss said. "Imagine my surprise when I realized that you had already had a full company quota in your house."

"Eric, it's not what you think…"

"Oh, you have no idea what I'm thinking right now…" Weiss argued.

"I'm pretty sure I do." Sydney insisted. "But trust me, this isn't what you think. Sark and I have been working together as partners for a while, and he has been most helpful in some research that I have been doing. Having him here this past weekend has been strictly for business purposes."

"Oh yes, I understand completely. I make intimate dinners for my business dinners all the time." Weiss rolled his eyes.

"Eric, Sark and I are friends." Sydney expanded slightly. "He is making me dinner because we are friends, and he is a really good cook."

"Thank you." Sark spoke up.

"You're welcome." Sydney smiled at him unintentionally, but quickly recaptured her solemn expression as she turned back to Weiss. "Eric, what are the chances you'll keep this to yourself until I'm ready to make it public?"

"What are the chances that you'll ever be ready to make it public?" Weiss countered.

"Good point." Sydney sighed. "Look, I know this doesn't make sense to you, but Sark and I are…"

"What?" Weiss prodded.

"We're friends." Sydney completed. "Good friends and I enjoy having him here with me. It's comforting."

"Comforting?" Weiss's voice was loud. "He is a terrorist, Sydney! How do you know he's not here, deceiving you, all as part of a plan to destroy you and the whole CIA?"

Sark glanced at Sydney and offered a shrug. "It could be true."

She glared. "Don't encourage him."

"Sydney, have you even considered what it means having him here?"

"Yes, it means delicious dinners and coffee ready when I wake up." She smiled. "Eric, I know this is difficult for you to understand, but please trust my judgment."

"Sydney, I'm not going to tell anyone." Eric responded after a few moments of silence. "I respect you too much to gossip about something like this. Nobody would understand."

"That's why I didn't tell you, or anyone else." Sydney told him. She glanced at Sark. "He wasn't going to stay forever."

"Yea? Just for a few weeks? Or months?" Weiss shook his head. "I can't cover for you forever, Sydney. Eventually someone else is going to realize he's here. What if your dad finds out? Or Vaughan? Or Dixon? Do you think Dixon would let you stay in the agency if he found out you've been sleeping with a terrorist?"

Sydney's eyebrows shot up. "We have not been sleeping together!"

"Well, obviously not now, but what about before? How do I know how long this has been going on between the two of you? Weren't you partners during the two years that you were gone? How do I know you weren't sleeping together then?" Weiss ranted.

Sydney shook her head. "We have only ever been partners." She glanced at Sark hoping for his confirmation, but he didn't contribute anything. In fact, he was being unusually silent. "Eric, I know you don't understand, and you definitely don't agree with my decision, but I need you to respect the fact that it is my decision to make."

"Sydney, when you're a part of something like the CIA, you should know that none of the decisions you make are only yours." Weiss reminded her. "Just be careful, okay?" He headed toward the front door. "Call me if you need me for anything."

"Thank you Eric." Sydney kissed his cheek briefly as he opened the door. "I really appreciate your concern."

Weiss left without saying another word and Sydney returned to the dining room where Sark was beginning to serve the food he had prepared. "How was your day?"

Sydney frowned. At times she adored Sark's carefree personality, but in moments like this she wished he could be more serious. "Thank you for dinner Sark…"

"But?" He sat back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. "I sense there is a 'but' coming."

Sydney nodded. "I think you should go."

"Go?"

"This weekend has been great. I've really enjoyed you being here. We've had fun, and I've been happy, but I think it needs to be over now."

Sark stood. "Is this because of Agent Weiss?"

She shrugged. "He just had some good points. I thought that I could hide you, like you were an object I didn't want to get caught with." Sydney's back started aching and she sat down to support her baby weight. "I don't want to treat you like a dirty little secret that I need to hide from everyone. It would be best if we just went back to being strictly professional business partners."

"I thought that's what we were now." Sark reminded her. He stood and moved to her side quickly and poured her a glass of sparkling cider in substitute for the wine he was drinking.

Sydney hesitated. "I think you and I both know that we've been a little too comfortable these past couple of days."

"Oh?" Sark pretended to be oblivious to what she was hinting at.

"Sark, I need to keep a clear head with everything that's going on right now. And you're kind of clouding my head." She sipped the sparkling cider slowly. "I need you to go back to Rome, or London, or wherever it is that you're living now."

Sark nodded. "Whatever you want, Sydney. I don't want to be in your way."

"Sark, you're not in my way…"

"You just told me that I was clouding your head. That implies that I am in your way." He decided.

"But…"

"It's all right, Sydney. I'm not going to hold this against you. I'll leave until you're ready for me to come back."

"Are you sure?"

"Am I sure about what Sydney?" Sark smiled. "You're not making very much sense right now. I do think it is a good idea for me to give you a little time." He hesitated very shortly before leaning down and pressing his lips against her forehead. "I will always be only a phone call away."

"Thank you." Sydney started to stand. "I'll help you pack up your things."

"As if I would let you help!" He shook his head. "You can come with me to the room, but you are going to rest on the bed, and eat your dinner while I pack."

"It's such a hard life I live…" Sydney smiled and let him help her to her feet. When they reached her bedroom her cell phone rang and she quickly pulled it out of her pocket. "Hello?"

"Sydney, how wonderful to hear your voice. How is that pregnancy of yours progressing?"

"Hello Sloane." Sydney rolled her eyes and pressed the button for the speakerphone so Sark could be a part of the conversation. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"I heard that you had a phone call from your mother."

"Well, not exactly. My mom called Sark." Sydney corrected him.

"Correct, but I am assuming he is still in the vicinity…" Sloane paused waiting for Sydney to confirm.

"Yes, he is." Sydney glanced at Sark and nodded.

"Hello Arvin." Sark spoke up.

"Well, hello Julian. I see you are still taking good care of Sydney."

"Yes sir." Sark replied. He helped Sydney get settled on the bed and started getting his suitcase together. "Arvin, are you calling us for a particular purpose."

"I understand that Irena has tried to warn you off the search for the passenger, and I just wanted to make sure that you weren't going to listen to her."

"Give us a good reason not to." Sydney piped in quickly.

"Sydney, the passenger is a very important commodity, and trust me it is important that you find it."

"You mean her." Sydney corrected him.

"Yes, her, that's correct." Sloane agreed.

"Why is it so important for me to find her? Why don't you put someone else on this?" Sydney asked.

"Because…" Sloane hesitated.

"Because it has to do with Rambaldi, and you're still stuck on the insane notion that I am the chosen one." Sydney pulled a blanket over her as she watched Sark gather his things together. "Sloane, I'm not saying that I wont' keep on with this whole passenger thing, but I am about to go on maternity leave from the office until I have the baby, and that means from you to."

"I see." Sloane was silent for a minute. "Julian, are you planning on putting me on hold as well?"

"I'm Sydney's partner, not yours Arvin." Sark responded. "When she chooses to resume the hunt for the passenger than I will as well. Until then, I do not believe we have anything more to talk about."

"I see." Sloane paused. "Sydney…"

"I think Sark has said it all, Sloane." Sydney smiled up at the blonde who was adjusting the pillows behind her head. "I will talk to you later." She hung up and tossed the phone to the end of the bed. "You don't have to take a break from this just because I am. And I'm not really. I'm still going to be doing some research, just nothing physical." Sydney smiled. "No long airplane trips or anything."

"But you told Arvin…"

"I'm just tired of working for him. I want to see what I can find out on my own first before I start talking to him about it." She explained.

"Sydney, I need to ask you about something, and I'm not sure you'll want to discuss it."

"Ask me." Sydney told him.

"Have you given the baby any more consideration?"

"In what way?" She avoided eye contact. "I mean, it's kind of hard to ignore."

"You know what I meant."

Sydney shook her head. "I'm still just a person carrying around a baby. It's nothing personal. And it's going to be over soon."

"I see." Sark nodded and zipped up his bag. "Well, I'm all packed."

"Then I guess I will see you later." Sydney was ready to be alone. She didn't like the questions he was asking. They were too personal. She wasn't ready to admit that she had been considering what it would mean if she decided to keep the baby. Letting it go was becoming more and more difficult for her.

"Hopefully sooner rather than later." Sark brushed a piece of hair out of her eyes.

"Maybe the next time you see me I'll have my figure back." Sydney smiled up at him.

He nodded. "Maybe so." He headed toward the door. "Don't forget that if you ever need to talk to anyone, or if you need anyone to hold your hand through the labor process…I'm here for you."

"I appreciate the offer, but I think I need to finish out this pregnancy alone. It really has nothing to do with you and I feel bad getting you involved."

He wasn't sure how to respond to her emotional response. "Fine. Then I guess I'll just expect to see you after the baby is out of your life." He left without another word, leaving Sydney to feel angry and guilty about how she kicked him out.

_It's for the best. He doesn't need to be involved. It'll be better for our partnership if he's out of my life until this is all over. Him being here is just making me emotionally weak, and I don't need that right now. I need to be strong until the baby is gone. _


	60. Ava

_A/N: So, as much as I love __Jane Eyre__, writing a 12 page paper on that isn't quite as exciting as writing an update for this…so due to more negligence, here's the long awaited chapter! Finally, no more pregnant Sydney. Thank you all for the reviews! I can't believe I've hit chapter 60! It's been a long, slow process, but I'm still just as excited about writing this story as I was when I posted the first chapter and by the amount of reviews I've received, I can tell that the interest is a 2-way thing, thankfully! THANK YOU!!!!! _

"All this research is giving me a headache." Sydney complained, shoving aside some of the files she was reading through.

Weiss grinned. "I told you that you should be resting, instead of digging through pointless piles of information. We've been through this all before. I don't know what it is that you're trying to find!"

"Anything." Sydney replied. "Answers, more questions, just anything that will spark a memory."

"Right."

"Eric, are we ever going to talk about it?"

"About what?"

Sydney frowned. "You know what I'm referring to. It's been over a week since you found Sark here, and we still haven't discussed it."

"He left. That's all that matters. You told him to leave and he left and you haven't spoken with him since, right?"

"Right." Sydney confirmed. She felt a little guilty for ignoring Sark for so long, but she needed time to consider the emotions that Sark had been invoking in her, before seeing him or talking to him again.

"Then in my mind, there's nothing to talk about."

"Thanks."

Weiss paused as he found a document with an image of a map designed by Rambaldi. He remembered learning about that map months earlier. He had been sent to retrieve it from Austria. It was a difficult mission for him to forget. That was the day that he had been taken captive by the Covenant and then traded for Sark's release from the CIA. Something was pulling on his memory, but he didn't know what it was. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to remember the details of the mission and suddenly it came to him. "Thorne…"

"What?" Sydney looked at him curiously.

"Miss Thorne…"

"Eric, what are you talking about?"

"You had the alias Thorne, right?"

"Yes, you know that." Sydney confirmed. "Why's that important now?"

"I met you."

"What?"

"I mean, I didn't meet you, but I saw you, during your time with the Covenant." Weiss explained. "I was on a mission to retrieve a Rambaldi artifact and I was interrupted by a woman. Someone called her 'Thorne'. It must have been you!"

"Must have been? Don't you think you would have recognized me?"

"The woman was wearing a mask. She came in from the window ledge and held up me and the man I was meeting with, then took the map."

Sydney hesitated as an image flashed through her mind. "Oh my god."

"What?"

"Balton in Austria."

Weiss nodded. "You remember?"

"Only little bits and pieces every now and then. It's been coming back stronger though lately, and more frequently." She shrugged. "I still don't remember anything about my relationships though, so this baby is still anonymous." She sucked in her breath suddenly as her stomach pinched with pain.

"Sydney, are you okay?" Weiss asked.

"Yea, I'm fine…it's just…" She gasped and grabbed at her stomach in pain. "Oh god, I think I'm having contractions."

"Is it time?" Weiss asked, standing quickly. "Do we need to go to the hospital now?"

"I don't know. I guess so." Sydney whimpered slightly as she tried to pull herself to her feet. Weiss bent down to help her stand, and then left his arm around her waist to support her. "I…" She stopped and looked down when she felt something wet splash against her feet. "Okay…I think that's a sign."

Weiss grinned. "Your water broke!"

"Eric, get me to the hospital please!"

……

"Look at her eyes…" Sydney sighed as she stroked her baby girl's fuzzy brown head of hair. "They're so blue!"

"Yep, that they are." The nurse smiled as she arranged a bouquet of tulips on the stand beside the hospital bed where Sydney lay with her child. "She has your lips." The nurse commented. "I bet her eyes will be like yours when she gets a little older, too. It's common for babies to be born with blue eyes."

Sydney shook her head. "No. She has her father's eyes."

"Oh?" The nurse frowned at Sydney curiously. "I'm sorry, I was under the impression that you didn't know…" Sydney pursed her lips and the nurse stopped talking. "Have you thought of a name yet?" She wisely changed the subject.

Sydney cuddled the little girl more securely in her arms and brushed her lips over her daughter's soft head. "I'm going to name her Ava."

"That's a very pretty name."

Sydney nodded. "Is there a secure phone here I can use?"

The nurse motioned to the phone on the bedside table. "All of our lines are secure."

"Of course they are." Sydney sat up in bed and the nurse quickly helped her adjust the pillows so she wouldn't have to disrupt her baby. "Thank you. Could I have some privacy for a few minutes, please?"

"Certainly Agent Bristow." The nurse politely evacuated the room, leaving Sydney alone to make her phone call.

She dialed from memory and waited impatiently as the phone rang. He finally answered.

"Hello?"

"Come to the St. Peter's hospital, immediately." She ordered without even bothering to greet him. "And make sure to wear a disguise. It's a CIA hospital." She hung up without another word, certain that he would be able to piece together the mystery of her brief instructions, and even more certain that he knew who she was even though she didn't identify herself.

………

It had been over an hour since the phone call, and the nurse had since taken little Ava out to join the cribs with all the other newborns so that Sydney could take a short nap. It was the first time she had let her daughter out of her arms, and sleep wasn't exactly easy to do. So, instead she climbed out of her hospital bed and slowly wandered down to the viewing window where she could check on her daughter.

She hadn't expected him to be able to respond so quickly, since she didn't realize he was in the same city, so she was shocked when she noticed him standing with his face almost pressed up against the glass, eagerly peering into the room full of babies' cribs. She fought the urge to grin at his appearance. He looked so casual, wearing jeans, a polo shirt, and a baseball cap; just like any young guy.

Stepping up next to him, she smoothed down her hair, unconsciously fixing her appearance for him. "You should have told me." She stated simply.

He didn't look at her. "Would you have listened?" He kept his eyes focused straight ahead at the sleeping children. "Would you have let yourself believe me?"

She clenched her teeth together, trying not to be frustrated with the good point he was making. "I deserved the truth."

"How do you even know what the truth is? You're just making assumptions now…" He gave a lame protest.

"She has your eyes, Sark." Sydney pointed to the little girl to the left of them, bundled up in a soft pink blanket. "And I have been remembering things…"

A smile lighted his face as he glanced at the nametag on her crib. "You named her Ava."

"That was from my memories." She glanced at him. "Who was Ava?"

"My little sister." He reminded her and she nodded.

She thought back to the dream she had had the night before of a conversation between herself and Sark. He had been telling her about his little sister who had died when she was only five. Her name was Ava. Now she understood that it wasn't a dream, but an actual memory. "Yes, I do remember that." She was still waiting for him to look at her. "Sark, what else don't I remember? There was obviously something between us…I remember some things…" She frowned. "I hate it though. It's all in pieces. I feel so incomplete."

He wanted to hold her, and to kiss her, and to remind her of how happy they had been, but he wasn't sure if they would ever reach that place again. He couldn't push her too fast or too soon. He was afraid of scaring her away. "Maybe it's better that way."

She glared at him. "No it's not." She pointed to Ava again. "We have a daughter together, and I have a feeling she wasn't the result of a stupid one night stand!"

Sark shook his head. "She wasn't."

"Then tell me what I need to know." She reached her hand into the pocket of her sweater and pulled out the small box she had retrieved from Gratz months ago. "I found this…" She took a deep breath. "I found it only a few weeks after returning to LA. It was the first time I started remembering things." She held it out to him and he took it and opened it unnecessarily. "It is from you, isn't it?"

He smiled. "You kept it?"

She shrugged. "I guess so. I found it at the hotel safe."

"In Gratz." He finished.

"Yea, in Gratz." She sighed. "Sark, we have to talk. I have to know what I don't remember."

"Sydney, your memories were removed for a reason. Maybe you should consider that before asking for them back."

"They were removed because Kendall is a lying bastard who wanted to use me to get something he needed." Sydney replied harshly.

"You probably shouldn't say that so loudly." Sark told her. "This is a CIA hospital, isn't it?"

She nodded. "We have to do something about Kendall. I hate that he is still running free. Why haven't we told the CIA yet?"

"Because we don't know what to say." Sark reminded her. "Remember, we decided it would be best to wait until after we discover who the leader of the Covenant is so we have something concrete to give them."

"Right." Sydney nodded. "Okay, I'm over that right now. I want to get back to this." She motioned toward the roomful of babies. "What are we going to do about this?"

"What do you mean?" Sark questioned.

"What are we going to do about Ava?"

"I thought you were going to give her up for adoption." Sark reminded her. "What else is there for us to discuss?"

"That's it?" Sydney questioned, more than a little sadly.

He shook his head. "I don't want it to be, but I don't know what else to say."

Sydney shook her head. "I can't."

"You can't what?"

"I can't let her go." Sydney explained. "She hasn't even been in my life for twenty-four hours yet and I am so in love with her it's unbearable." Tears clouded her eyes. "I can't think of giving her up."

"Really?" Sark smiled slightly. "I'm glad." He hesitated, uncertain about how she would respond to what he was preparing to confess. "When I first learned you were pregnant, I assumed it was mine. When I learned you were planning on giving it up, I wanted to find a way to keep it."

"You wanted to keep it?"

"Yes. I didn't want to lose my child. I never knew how to mention it to you, but I wanted to ask you if I could raise it."

"Sark…" Sydney hesitated and decided to stay quiet. Sark didn't pry. She stepped closer to him until their arms bumped against each other barely. She felt a need to be close to him, but in this hospital she knew it wasn't safe. Someone could be watching. She cleared her throat. "I never wanted it to be Simon's."

"Good." Sark nodded. "That would have been a disappoint for me. Also, I think Simon would make a really terrible father."

"Sark…"

"Yes?"

"I wanted it to be yours."

"Sydney, you don't have to say that for my sake." He assured her. "It's enough for me to know that she is in fact mine."

"Sark, I'm not saying it for you. I'm saying it because it's true." Sydney insisted. "The reason I've been calling you so often and asking you to stay with me is because I have desperately wanted to be with you. I wanted you to be with me during my pregnancy, because it felt right."

"It was right." He agreed.

"I wish it could be easier."

"What?"

"Life."

He chuckled slightly. "I wish I could make it easier for you somehow."

"Sark, nobody is going to be able to accept this." Sydney pointed out. "It's been hard enough for me to start opening up to the idea…"

"How long have you been trying?"

She cleared her throat. "A couple weeks."

"What? But up until today I thought you were convinced it was Simon's baby." Sark frowned.

"I said so because it was easier for me to believe that it was." She tried to explain but his silence told her that he needed more of a reason. "If it was Simon's child it would have been easier for me to give up." Sark was still quiet, and she knew he still wasn't satisfied with her answer. She tried to figure out how much she wanted to tell him. "A couple weeks ago I started having more memories. I was seeing things…things about you and me."

"Like what?" Sark was interested to see how much she could remember.

Sydney hesitated and then smiled. "I remembered something about a food fight…is that strange?" She laughed. "Did that really happen?"

Sark nodded. "It did. And you started it."

"I did? Why?"

"I was saying something sarcastic and you were simply actively responding."

Sydney tried to remember more specifics of the food fight memory, but her mind was blank. "Anyway, after I started remembering things, I had to admit to myself that there might have been something between us…more than simply being professional partners."

He nodded. "An understandable assumption."

"Thinking about it though was difficult…"

"Why?"

Until this moment Sydney and Sark had both been staring ahead at the babies, trying to make their conversation undetectable by any security that could be watching them. Now, though, she turned to him. "Sark, you know why."

He looked at her. "Perhaps I do, but I don't want to be presumptuous."

"It was difficult because I wanted it to be true and I was afraid of being disappointed if my memories were deceiving me." She explained quickly. "I didn't want to let myself believe that you truly cared about me, in case you didn't. I wanted my memories to be real because it would make everything so perfect…" A tear rolled from left eye and she quickly wiped it away, hoping he wouldn't notice.

"Sydney…"

"Don't." She shook her head and turned away from him suddenly. "I can't deal with this right now." She cleared her throat, simultaneously clearing all traces of tears from her voice. "The nurse will be by on rounds soon. I should get back to my room."

"Sydney…" He tried again.

"I really shouldn't have called you." She had forced coldness into the tone of her voice, trying to ignore her overwhelming emotional confusion. "I'm sorry."

He sighed. "Please don't do that."

"What?" She snapped. "What do you expect? I'm a CIA agent and you're a national terrorist. This…" She motioned at their daughter through the window. "This can't happen."

"It's a little late for that…"

She shook her head. "This is ridiculous. I don't know what I was thinking calling you like that." She crossed her arms. "I'm going to have her adopted like I planned all along. I never should have brought you into this. I know what I have to do and I just need to get it over with." She turned and started walking away from the window, refusing to look at her daughter or Sark again.

"Sydney!" He took a few quick steps after her. "You can't just ignore everything and pretend it didn't happen."

She didn't slow down. "You shouldn't be here. It's a CIA hospital. You could be arrested."

Sark stopped pursuing her, too frustrated and confused at the moment to try and talk to her anymore. _She's seriously bipolar. _He watched her turn the corner before returning to the viewing window to watch his daughter for nearly ten more minutes before leaving the hospital. He didn't leave the city though. Sark intended to talk sense to her before she gave up their daughter. If Sydney didn't want her, he would take her alone.


	61. Closure

"Hey Sydney, are you up to visitors?"

Sydney glanced up at the door and smiled at the men crowding the doorway. "Hey you guys, come on in." She laughed. "I had a baby, not surgery!"

Dixon, Weiss, and Marshall crowded into the room.

"We wanted to come earlier, but we've been swamped at the office." Dixon came to the side of her bed and kissed her on the forehead.

"Of course." Sydney smiled as Weiss took her hand. "What have you been working on?"

"No, no. Syd you are on maternity leave, you do not need to be concerned with office affairs." Dixon reminded her.

She frowned. "You're right. Actually, that's something I wanted to ask you about."

"Oh?" Dixon sat on the edge of the bed, giving her his full attention.

"Do you think I could have a little longer if I needed it?" She requested.

"Is something wrong? Are you feeling okay?"

"Yea, I'm fine." She hesitated, glancing at the others in the room. "I just might want more time."

"Sure," Dixon didn't press the matter. "You may have the normal maternity time, which is six weeks. If you change your mind feel free to return at any time."

"Thank you for understanding." She adjusted her position and Weiss instinctively helped her prop the pillows. "Now are those chocolates I see?"

Marshall stepped forward quickly and handed her the box he was holding. "I remember you once mentioned that you like dark chocolate."

Sydney took the chocolate from him and eagerly opened them. "You have an incredible memory. Thank you." She popped a dark chocolate truffle in her mouth. "Thank you all for coming to see me."

A nurse tapped on the open door with Ava bundled up in her arms. "Sorry to interrupt Agent Bristow, but it's time for her feeding."

"Of course, thank you." Sydney held her arms out to accept her baby from the nurse. "Umm, I need to feed her, but would you like to meet her first?"

The men hesitated, but Marshall nodded. "Hello there little girl!" he cooed to the baby as Sydney held her up for them to see.

"Sydney she's beautiful." Dixon commented slowly.

"She's perfect, isn't she?" Sydney held her finger out for the baby to grab hold of. "Her name is Ava."

"You named her?" Weiss questioned.

"Yes I did."

"I thought you weren't going to keep it."

Sydney paused. "I'm not…did someone tell you I was?"

"You named her." Weiss explained. "Usually when someone is giving their baby up, they don't name it and feed it. It creates attachment."

Sydney realized he was right, but she had no answer for him. Looking down at her daughter, she was distracted by the brilliant blue eyes staring back up at her. "She's so perfect."

"Alright gentlemen, the baby needs to eat, so let's clear out and give Agent Bristow some privacy." The nurse shooed them away and then left obediently wishing Sydney all the best.

Once she was alone Sydney let her daughter feed while she contemplated her choices. _I have to give her up as I had planned. Nothing has changed. _She glanced down at the little girl again. _What am I saying? Everything has changed. All I want is to be with him and our baby girl._

The door opened and Sydney spoke without looking up. "She isn't quite finished yet, maybe about fifteen more minutes." The door closed, but Sydney senses she hadn't been left alone. She looked up quickly. "What are you doing here?" She pulled a blanket over herself automatically.

"I know I shouldn't have come. You made it very clear that you didn't want me here…"

"I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" He stayed by the door.

"I was very rude earlier." She told him. "You were so good to me, and I was so awful to you." She sighed. "I really didn't mean what I said. I was just overwhelmed and emotional…"

"Haven't you ever heard that we're the most honest when we let our emotions guide us?"

"I might have meant some of it, okay? But I still shouldn't have said it."

"Sydney I don't care what you said. I came here to tell you something. I was going to give you space, so I stayed away, hoping that you would call me when you were ready. It's been twelve hours now though, and you still haven't called, so I came to you."

"Sark, this really isn't a good idea. You shouldn't be here." Sydney interrupted him.

"I was careful. Nobody saw me come in." He assured her. "I have to talk to you now."

She nodded. "Fine."

"Sydney, I am in love with you."

She didn't respond.

"I have been for months, and it has been torture waiting for you to remember, not even knowing if you ever would." Sark paused. "I'm not telling you this to get a response from you, I just need you to know. I also want you to know that if you still intend to give up our daughter, I will fight for her."

"Sark…"

"No, I'm not done yet. We had a relationship. It lasted for almost six months before the CIA arrested me. We were in love, and this baby is a product of that love. She isn't something you should despise or feel guilty about. You should love her and be proud of her."

Ava had finished feeding and Sydney removed the blanket after covering herself back up. "Sark, I am proud of her. I love her, and I want to keep her, but I don't know how it would work with you."

He saw the tears forming in her eyes and hurried over to the bed. "Don't worry about me. All I want is for you to be happy and I want the best for our daughter. If I know that you will keep her and be happy with her, then I will go away. I will disappear and you won't have to worry about me bothering you again." She started to speak but he stopped her. "I'm leaving now. I will come back in twelve more hours and expect you to have a decision made."

She nodded. "Do you want to hold her?"

Sark smiled down at the baby in Sydney's arms. "Next time." He leaned down and kissed Ava's small head. As he started to stand up, he hesitated momentarily and then decided the risk was worth it and quickly pressed his lips against Sydney's. She as too surprised to respond, but when he started to pull away she loosed her right arm from beneath Ava and hurriedly wrapped it around Sark's neck and resumed the broken kiss.

"Well that was…"

"Unexpected?" Sydney laughed a little at the startled expression on Sark's face as he straightened up.

"It was very nice." He finished his thought. "Thank you."

"Did you just thank me for kissing you?"

"Yes." He grinned. "I've missed kissing you."

"Well, then you're welcome."

He returned to the door and pulled the hood of his sweatshirt disguise over his head. "I'll be back in twelve hours."

She smiled. "I'll be waiting."

…………

Closing her eyes was becoming irritatingly impossible. Every time she tried to sleep, Sydney would dream of Sark. The worst part was, when she woke up and couldn't figure out if the dreams were from her imagination or actual memories resurfacing in her sleeping subconscious.

_I hate not knowing_. Sydney decided not to try sleeping anymore since her most recent attempt had given her a dream of seeing an opera with Sark. A knock sounded at the door and she looked up hopefully. "Come in."

The door opened slowly. "Hi."

She frowned. "Hi."

"I wanted to come earlier, but I just got back from assignment in Mexico."

Sydney sat up straighter. She couldn't understand why his visiting made her so uncomfortable. "How's Lauren?"

Vaughn sighed. "She's good. She's visiting her parents for the weekend."

"Oh." Sydney nodded. "I see. She doesn't know you're here, visiting me, does she?"

"I'm not hiding it, if that's what you're implying."

"I'm not trying to imply anything." Sydney shook her head. "Vaughn, what are you doing here?"

He stepped forward and handed her the bouquet of daisies he had been holding. "I just came to see how you were doing."

"You've barely spoken to me since you learned that I was pregnant." She reminded him. "That was months ago. So why are you pretending to care now?"

"I'm not pretending." He insisted. "You know how I care about you. And if things had been different…"

"Stop." Sydney silenced him. "You don't get to play the 'what if' game with our lives. Things aren't different. You made your choice a long time ago when you let me go. Now you have Lauren and I have Ava."

"Ava?"

"My daughter."

"Oh." Vaughn hesitated. "That's a pretty name."

"Thank you." Sydney hadn't intended to tell Vaughn, but she felt like this was the right moment. "I'm going to keep her."

"You are?"

"Yes. I need someone in my life."

Vaughn nodded. I'm sorry for everything. I never meant to ruin your life."

"You can't take all the credit. The Covenant had a lot to do with it too." She smiled. "Don't be sorry though. I'm not upset with you for moving on with Lauren?"

"Really?" He looked skeptical.

"Okay, so it might not have been the happiest day of my life when Kendall told me about it…" She stopped suddenly and considered her words.

Vaughn had picked up on them too. "Kendall told you?"

She shook her head. "No, you did…" She hesitated. "But before…during the two years…" _Oh my god._ "I remember Kendall telling me that you were married."

"You knew all the time you were gone?"

"I guess so." She frowned. "I can't remember anything else about it, but I do remember that he told me."

"Then I'm sorry that you had to find out from someone else."

"Whatever, it doesn't matter. The point I was trying to make is that even though I was upset about it, I have moved on."

"You have?"

"Yes, it might surprise you, but I don't have feelings for you anymore."

"Good…" Vaughn tried to sound optimistic, but he wasn't very successful. "I mean, I'm glad that you have been able to accept the changes in our lives."

"Yea, sure…" Sydney was still trying to think of more details from the conversation she remembered with Kendall. "Oh my god…" Her mind flashed to another memory, one of her in a car watching Vaughn with a blonde woman.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Sydney snapped quickly. "I just forgot to tell my dad something important." She didn't want Vaughn to know how much of her memory was returning. For some reason she didn't feel like she could trust him like she use to be able to, and instincts told her that not everyone wanted her to have her memory back, like Kendall.

"Well, anyway, I just thought I'd stop by. I guess I should go now though." Vaughn seemed a little less then happy about how the visit had gone. He hadn't been expecting to hear Sydney say she was over him.

"Yea, thanks for coming." Sydney replied a little absentmindedly.

"Sure." Vaughn headed to the door, glancing over his shoulder briefly before leaving. "If you need anything at all Sydney, regardless of how we have both moved on with our lives…you know I'm still here for you, right?"

"Sure." Sydney nodded, but couldn't wait for him to leave. "Goodbye."


	62. Somewhere I Might Remember

_A/N: Thanks for all the reviews. As always, they were very encouraging for the progress of my story. I know it's only been a couple days since my last update, but I didn't think anyone would mind if I updated again so quickly, especially due to the content of this particular chapter. It's short, but I think good enough as it is. I wanted this scene to be in an update of its own. The next update will probably take a little longer. _

……………

After Vaughn left, Sydney wanted to get herself ready, as much as possible. The last couple of times that Sark had seen her she had been dressed in hospital scrubs or sweatpants, with her hair pulled back and no makeup. This time she wanted to be ready. Unfortunately, she didn't have much time and had barely gotten herself out of the bed before someone was knocking on the door again.

"Come in." She called out.

The door opened and Sark stepped in, quickly shutting the door again. "I've come, just as promised."

Sydney smiled, but hesitated when she realized that she hadn't had a chance to fix herself up at all. "Hi."

"Are you unhappy with me being here?" He asked, noting the puzzled look on her face.

"Oh, no not at all. I'm very happy you're here." She fixed her expression into a pleased smile. "I was just about to get dressed, so you caught me off guard."

"I see." His hand hovered above the door handle. "Would you like me to leave again?"

"No, it's fine. I'll wait." Sydney sat down again and motioned for him to approach.

"Did I just see Michael Vaughn leaving your room?" Sark questioned.

"Yes."

"I see." Sark nodded. "Has he and his wife split up then?"

"No. They are still very much together." Sydney replied.

"So, what was he doing here with you then?"

"Just visiting…"

"His wife, I am assuming, was unaware of the visit."

Sydney nodded. "She's at her parents." Sydney sensed that Sark was a little unsettled by seeing Vaughn there, so she decided to extend the explanation. "We needed some closure."

"Closure?" Sark repeated.

"I needed him to know that I wasn't waiting for him." She explained. "He needed to know that I wasn't going to be around if he ever decided that he wanted me and not Lauren." She smiled. "I'm finished pining over him. In fact, I think I was finished a long time ago…"

"How long?" Sark pressed.

"I don't know exactly…" She hesitated. "I just have a feeling that I was over him a while ago…"

"You mean before you returned from your work with the Covenant?"

"Yea."

"How would you know that if you can't remember anything?" Sark questioned.

"I…"

"Sydney, have you been remembering things?"

"Sort of. I don't know." She shrugged. "I've been having dreams, but I don't know if they're real or not. When I was talking to Vaughn though, I was having some flashes."

"Flashes of what?"

"Memories, I suppose. I remembered being told about Vaughn and Lauren, and then I remembered seeing them together…"

"In Venice?"

"I don't know where it was. When did I see them in Venice?"

"It was at a party. Remember when I told you about us jumping off a balcony?" Sark waited for Sydney's nod. "It was the party that got us in trouble."

"Right." Sydney tried to remember the details, but they refused to surface in her mind. "Anyway, I didn't like him being here."

"Really?"

"Talking to him made me remember things that I think I'd rather not." Sydney explained briefly.

Sark wanted to know specifics, but sensed she wasn't in the mood to discuss it further. "So, what decision have you made?"

Sydney felt like they had gotten to the point a little too fast, but then she remembered that at any second a nurse or an agent could stop by the room and see Sark, and undoubtedly arrest him. That realization encouraged her to speed up the whole process. "I'm keeping Ava."

"You are?" Sark sounded glad, and yet a little disappointed at the same time. "Good, that's how it should be."

She nodded. "I also told Dixon that I was going to take six weeks maternity leave. He doesn't know that I'm keeping her yet, nobody really does, but they all believe that I just need some time to myself to recuperate."

"Okay…" Sark wasn't sure what she was getting at.

"I still don't know how you're going to fit into everything, and I'm not sure that we'll ever be where we used to be again, mainly because I still can't remember our past. You are her father, though, and I want my daughter to have her father in her life."

Sark's blue eyes seemed to grow even brighter than usual. "Truly?"

"Yes." Sydney nodded. "I expect you to see her as often as possible. What that means right now, I'm not sure, all I do know is that I don't want you to disappear from her life…or mine. We'll figure out the details later."

"Thank you." It was all he could think of to say. "You have no idea what this means to me."

She smiled. "Just don't disappoint me, okay?"

"I promise." He took a couple quick steps, closing the gap between them and quickly pulled her into his arms without considering how she might react. All he was thinking about was how much he loved her and wanted to be near her.

"Sark…" She let him hold her for a moment before pulling away. "I asked for the six weeks off because I want to go somewhere."

"Where?"

"I don't know." She paused. "Anywhere. Somewhere familiar. Will you take Ava and me away? Take me somewhere that I know, somewhere that might remember." She shrugged. "Did we have any special, secret spots where we went to be alone together? Is there somewhere that nobody knows of except for us?"

Sark shook his head. "There were many places we went together, but nowhere secret or extra special."

"I don't care. Just take me somewhere that we were happy." This time she initiated the hug, wrapping her arms around his neck and dropping her cheek to his shoulder. "Please."

"Of course." Sark agreed easily. "I'll call Chet and he'll get the plane ready." In his mind, Sark had already decided to take her to his home in Scotland. He knew that she had enjoyed herself there, and it would be the perfect place to set up a nursery for Ava.

"Thank you."

He kissed her cheek instinctively. "Get dressed and get Ava. I'll have my car waiting out front for you."

"No, my dad's going to be picking me up. I'll let him take me home to pack and then you can pick me up at home in one hour." Sydney arranged.

"One hour?" He sighed. "After already waiting nearly twenty-four, an hour longer felt like an eternity.

"I won't change my mind, if that's what you're concerned about." Sydney assured him, noticing the frown on his face.

"I'm not worried. I'm simply anxious to be alone with you and our daughter."

"Me too."


	63. The Start of a Family

"Sydney…" Sark brushed his fingers across her cheek gently to wake her. "We're here."

She opened her eyes slowly and let out a small yawn. "Here?"

She had fallen asleep with her head on his shoulder so when he nodded, his cheek rubbed against her forehead. "My home."

"Right." Sydney pulled herself out of her sleepy daze and sat up straight, glancing briefly at the shoulder she had been sleeping on. _Thank god I didn't drool. _"How long was I asleep for?"

"A couple hours."

"Really?" She stretched. "That would explain the cramp in my neck."

"I'll give you a massage later, if you'd like…" Sark offered quickly.

"I might take you up on that." Sydney grinned. "So, where are we exactly?"

"In Scotland." Sark stood, shaking out the wrinkles in his suit jacket. "She's been sleeping well too."

Sydney looked to where he motioned and noticed Ava soundly sleeping in a car seat that Sark had fastened to one of the chairs in his private jet, which they had been flying on for hours. When Sark had picked Sydney up at her house earlier that day, he had surprised her by spending his hour without her shopping for baby items, such as car seats, diapers, blankets, and even a few rattles and bottles. He had told her that he wasn't sure what she already had, but he wanted to make sure they were prepared. His thoughtfulness concerning their daughter's needs, instantly relaxed Sydney about going away with him.

"So, you say that I've spent time here with you?" Sydney glanced out the small window, trying to see where they were, but all she could see was the pavement and grass surrounding the small private runway on Sark's property.

"Yes, we were here for quite a while together." Sark confirmed. "Perhaps you'll be able to remember later."

She smiled at his optimism, hoping that he was right. She wanted so desperately to remember everything, to understand why he looked at her so sincerely, and why when he kissed her it felt so right. "She's waking up." Sydney welcomed the distraction from her thoughts. Sark moved over to their daughter, unfastened the seat belt, and lifted her into his arms. "Do you want me to take her?"

Sark shook his head, cuddling the baby close. "No, it's fine, I have her."

Sydney watched him for a moment before standing. This was the first time she had seen him hold her. It looked so natural for him to hold her and for her to be in his arms. They looked right together. _Can we ever be together? Would a real family situation ever work? _She shook her head. _I don't want to think about this right now. _"I'll get the bags." Sydney stood, forcing the complicated thoughts from her mind.

"Oh no, I have people to do that for us." Sark reminded her.

She nodded. "Of course."

"Come on, let's go inside." Sark kept his firm hold on Ava and led Sydney down the steps of the plane and across the expansive back yard to the house, which was actually a castle, rather than a house.

She followed him silently around to the front door, which was already opened and waiting for them. A butler greeted them with a proper bow. "Welcome, Mr. Sark." Something about the greeting seemed familiar to Sydney, but she didn't pursue the memory. "And Miss Thorne, how nice to see you again."

Sark smiled at his butler's memory. "She isn't Julia Thorne anymore, George, but thank you for remembering."

He nodded. "Very good. Then welcome Miss Bristow."

"Thank you." Sydney didn't question how the butler knew her name. She assumed it was just a part of what she couldn't remember.

"I called ahead, so Eileen should have your room ready for you." Sark told her as they entered the house and the butler, George, closed the door behind them.

"I have a room here?" Sydney smiled. "How long did I stay here with you?"

"A couple weeks." Sark answered quickly. "It was nothing serious. We needed somewhere safe to stay after Venice went so wrong, and I decided that this would be the best place." He motioned up the stairs. "Do you want to get settled in?"

Sydney nodded. "You're going to have to show me where the room is. I don't remember."

"Of course." Still carrying Ava, Sark led the way upstairs and down the hall to the room that Sydney had once occupied across the hall from his own. "There should be a crib and things in there. I told Eileen to supply the room with the basics for a baby, but I thought you might like to design a full nursery yourself."

"A full nursery?" Sydney considered his offer. "Here?"

"You have full reign of this house Sydney." Sark told her. "I want you and Ava to be perfectly comfortable here."

"Thank you." Sydney opened the door to the room that Sark had brought her to and stepped in. Her eyes took in every detail slowly, desperately trying to remember something of her past life.

"Anything?" Sark seemed to read her thoughts as he followed her gaze around the room.

"No, not yet." She sighed. "But I am hopeful."

"Me too." Sark shifted Ava's position in his arms.

"Do you want me to take her?" Sydney offered. "Is she getting heavy?"

He grinned. "I am capable of holding my own daughter, you know?"

"Your daughter…" Sydney's lips curled up in a slow smile.

"I'm sorry, _our_ daughter." He corrected himself quickly and then smiled to match hers. "I do like the way that sounds."

Sydney wasn't ready to admit to him that she was becoming quite fond of it herself. It was still too early to admit any sort of feelings on her part, so she just smiled and then turned her back to him so he couldn't read the joy in her eyes.

"Why don't we get Mitzi to make us something to eat."

Sydney wished the name sounded familiar, but she was able to assume that Mitzi was his cook. "Yea, I'm staring."

"Good." Sark stepped aside as George brought her bags into the room. "Do you want to change or anything first?"

Sydney glanced down at the jeans and sweater she was wearing. "Nope, I'm feeling pretty comfortable in this." She hesitated. "Unless you meant…do I look okay? Should I be wearing something else?"

He laughed. "No, you look great. I just wanted to make sure that you were comfortable."

"I am comfortable. How about you? Maybe you want to get more comfortable, you know wear something less…"

"Less what?" Sark cocked an eyebrow.

"Sark, you're wearing slacks and a dress jacket! That can't be comfortable!"

He just grinned.

"What? Why are you smiling at me like that?" Sydney asked him nervously.

"You always use to give me a hard time about my dressing style."

"I did?" Sydney smiled a little. "I suppose some things don't just disappear with my memories."

"This is how I dress Sydney, I always have. It's not a matter of comfort, it's just what I am use to. I have an image that must be maintained for my profession and the way I dress is very influential for first impressions." Sark explained briefly.

"You don't need to impress me, Sark. We're way past first impressions." She laughed. "Do you even own jeans?"

He nodded. "I wore them to the hospital the other day, remember?"

"Yea, I remember. I wanted to laugh at you so badly."

"Thank you. And now you know why I don't wear them on a regular basis." He rolled his eyes and started down the hallway towards the stairs.

"No, it's not that you looked funny in them…I mean you kind of did, but it was just so abnormal for you!" She tried to redeem herself as she trotted after him, trying to catch up to his quick pace. "You still looked good though."

"Still? Does that mean you think I look good regularly?" Sark slowed down so she could catch up to him.

Sydney shrugged. "Maybe."

"You think I'm attractive, don't you?"

"You're smirking." Sydney warned him. "I don't like it when men smirk at me. It means they're trying to guess my thoughts."

"My apologies." Sark lifted Ava to his shoulder as she started waking up. "I think she's getting hungry."

"Yea, she probably will be any minute. I should feed her." Sydney reached out to take the little girl from Sark.

"You can have privacy in the front parlor. It's just to the left of the entryway. I will go and find Mitzi and then have Eileen fetch you in fifteen minutes. Will that be enough time?"

Sydney nodded, smiling at his consideration of giving her privacy to feed Ava, and then headed in the direction that he had mentioned. She found the parlor easily and made herself comfortable in an antique high-backed chair before beginning to feed her daughter. As Ava fed hungrily, Sydney's eyes wandered around the room, searching for anything to trigger her memories. Sark had said they spend a couple weeks at this castle. She was certain that something had to be familiar to her. When nothing in the room sparked a memory, she leaned her head back in the chair and shut her eyes, trying to clear her mind.

Fifteen minutes later a knock on the door interrupted her deep reverie, and she sat up straighter to find Ava finished. Sydney pulled her sweater down and glanced up to the door as it opened. A woman entered, whom Sydney assumed to be Eileen, the housekeeper that Sark had mentioned.

"Are you finished, Miss Bristow?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Mr. Sark has requested that I bring you to the library now."

Sydney nodded and stood to follow the woman out of the parlor, keeping a good hold on Ava who was busily pulling at the long strands of Sydney's hair. "You are Eileen, aren't you?"

She nodded. Glancing at Sydney briefly, Eileen eyed the baby and lifted an eyebrow. "I remember when you told me that you and my employer had a strictly professional relationship." She spoke a little sharply and Sydney sensed that the housekeeper had a very formed opinion of Sydney. "I see that things changed rather quickly."

Sydney cleared her throat. "I'm not sure what Mr. Sark has told you, but he and I were business partners and as for the rest, I cannot remember why or when we started a relationship, but I am certain that it was none of your business then and it definitely isn't now."

"Of course. My apologies, Miss Bristow." Eileen walked a little more quickly and Sydney fell behind. At the door to the library, Eileen stopped and motioned Sydney in through the open door. "If there is anything else you need, please let me know."

Sydney nodded at her curtly and then entered the library, closing the door to give her and Sark privacy. "I don't think Eileen likes me very much."

"Yes, the two of you never did get on as well as I had hoped." Sark reminded her. "She was always a little too curious for your preference." He motioned Sydney to a sofa and she took the proffered seat. "It's nice to see that some things never change, though perhaps one day you and Eileen will be friends."

"I think you've said that before…" Sydney pondered the thought that had slipped into her mind, stressing her brain as she tried pursuing the memory further.

"Mitzi is going to have dinner ready in a half hour, so I thought we could take the time to relax, and maybe talk a little." Sark explained as he cautiously sat beside her on the sofa. She didn't seem to mind his close proximity, so he made himself comfortable, resting his right ankle across his left knee.

"Relaxing sounds nice." Sydney decided. "You know, you would think that having a week of maternity leave prior to the delivery would have given me plenty of relaxing time, but no I was studying files trying to find something on the passenger."

"Did you have any success?"

"No, none at all." Sydney admitted hopelessly. "Though Eric had a memory of meeting me when I was Julia Thorne. Not really meeting me, but seeing me."

"Really?"

"Yea, I was stealing something from some man and Eric was there at the same time. Actually, that was the night that he was taken hostage. The covenant needed him to make a trade…"

"For me." Sark finished for her. "They traded Eric Weiss for my release from CIA custody."

Sydney didn't feel it was necessary to say anything else about that. "Enough about that though. Let's discuss what we're going to be doing with the next few weeks."

"The next few weeks?"

"That is if you intend to let me stay with you for that long of course. I mean I had just assumed…but I probably shouldn't have…" Sydney realized that when she asked Dixon for the time off she had planned on spending it with Sark, getting to know him better, and sharing their daughter as a family, but she had never considered that perhaps he didn't want to spend that time with her.

"Sydney, calm down. I am thrilled that we have the next few weeks together and I intend to make the most of every moment." He assured her. "I just want you to take it slow though. There is no reason to rush our time together."

"That's true." Sydney shifted Ava in her arms as the little girl's eyes started closing heavily. "This house is too big."

"Why do you say that?"

"I want to put her in her crib, but it's all the way back upstairs and in my room." Sydney explained.

"Tomorrow we'll go shopping for cribs and baby monitors, and whatever else she might need." Sark decided.

"That sounds perfect."

"Good, then it's a date."

"A date? With our daughter?" Sydney laughed. "I feel like we're moving backward."

"In what way."

"Well, first we have the baby and then we do the dating." Sydney explained, still laughing. "I'm sorry, it's not funny, I don't know why I'm laughing…"

"It's good to hear you laugh again. It's been a long time." Sark told her.

"You told me once that you liked my laugh, didn't you?" Sydney asked.

"I did."

"I remember that." Sydney grinned as she realized how much she had been remembering lately. Of course she wasn't remembering anything significant, just random little glances, but anything was something.

"Do you remember anything else about that day?"

Sydney rested her head back on the edge of the sofa and shut her eyes trying to think more deeply about the slight memory. "Not really…"

"Think hard. It was a good day." He smiled as the memory came to him easily. It was one of the moments that he knew he would never forget.

_Why were we laughing? _Sydney tried to recall the specifics, but still it evaded her. She saw fragments in her mind, but she couldn't piece them together in any logical coherency. _Where were we? _She was concentrating so hard her head started to ache. "I can't remember Sark."

"It's okay, don't worry about it." Sark touched her arm, quickly signaling for her to stop concentrating. "Don't try to force it. I believe your memories will come to you in time."

"I don't know Sark. It's been months and I still can barely remember anything more than a couple sentences that were exchanged between you and me." Her eyes started tearing up automatically. "We have a child Sark, but I can't remember the sex that created her!"

Sark couldn't help laughing at her outbreak. "Yes, I can imagine how frustrating that would be." He paused, considering for a moment. "Of course it would be impossible to pinpoint the exact occasion, but I assume it was one of the nights that you were with me at my flat in Rome."

Sydney hadn't expected him to announce that bit of information. "I see…"

"I'm sorry, did I make you uncomfortable?"

"No, it's fine. I'm fine." She smiled. "Actually I'm more than fine. For the first time in months I am finally able to be real. I'm not trying to hide anything from anyone, because you already know everything. You already know what I was doing for my two years, you know that you're the father of my baby…and I think you might even know how I'm feeling without me having to tell you."

"That's true." Sark smiled. "I have gotten pretty good at reading you Miss Bristow. Does that intimidate you?"

"At one point it might have, but not anymore. Now I am just relieved to have someone who knows me so well." She settled Ava in the crook of her right arm and reached out her left hand out to Sark. "I feel like I should be apologizing…"

"For what? You haven't done anything wrong."

"I know I just feel like there's something I should apologize for." Sydney insisted.

"Well, you can apologize for getting your memory erased and forgetting all about me, I suppose." He shrugged. "But that's not your fault, so it feels wrong to hold it against you." He took her hand and let his thumb slowly rub over her palm. "I love you."

"Sark…" Sydney had heard him say it to her before, back in the hospital, but she wasn't ready for it to become a common recitation from him.

"May I kiss you?"

She smiled at him, letting his blue eyes draw her in. "You're asking for permission?"

"It seems like the right thing to do." He explained. "I don't want to upset you." He inched closer to her on the sofa, still holding her hand. "So, may I kiss you?"

She hesitated for only a few moments before nodding. "Please do."


	64. only one more week

"You're scowling. Why are you scowling?" Sydney questioned Sark's expression, placing her hands on her hips.

"There is so much pink…" Sark replied as he glanced around the nearly completed nursery.

"Yes, Ava is a girl. Girl's like pink."

"I thought we agreed on green." Sark protested. "Yes, I distinctly remember discussing this with you yesterday and we decided that green would be a good color for the nursery."

Sydney smiled. "We did agree on green and perhaps if you had come with me to shop I wouldn't have bought so much pink."

"Sydney, I have apologized a dozen times! What more can I say? I cannot change when my emergency meetings arise…" Sark crossed the space of the rather large nursery, holding his arms out to Sydney. "I am truly sorry, and I will do my best to make it up to you!"

"Too late. I'm done shopping, so you're going to have to settle for pink." Sydney crossed her arms, refusing to give into his plea for a hug.

"You're upset with me, aren't you?"

"No." Sydney snapped.

"Oh, that was very convincing Miss Bristow." Sark wrapped his arms around her tightly, but she still kept hers crossed and remained stiff. "Come on, tell me what I can do to make it up to you."

She didn't answer.

"Come on…" He tried to kiss her, but she turned her head so their lips didn't meet. "Sydney…" He started kissing her jaw line, up her cheek to her ear. "Come on…"

His kisses were tickling, but she tried not to laugh or to give into him. "Go away. I'm mad at you."

"You are weakening." He spoke each word sharply and accentuated each with a kiss.

"No I am not!" She tried pulling away, but he was stronger than her and kept his arms firmly locked around her.

"Yes you are…" He continued pestering her with kisses until she finally broke down into a relenting fit of giggles. "Do you surrender?"

"Yes. I surrender!" She gave up fighting him and melted into his arms. "But you do have to make it up to me, and to Ava."

"I promise." Sark waited for her to turn her face to him and offer him her lips for a kiss, which she did after only another moment of contemplation. "Tonight, we'll go out, or no I have a better idea. We'll stay in. I'll cook."

"Let's cook together." Sydney suggested.

"Even better." He kissed her again and then released her. "How is Ava liking her new crib?" Sark moved away from Sydney and peered into the crib where their daughter was lying awake waving her tiny fists in the air and giggling up at her father's face.

"She seems happy enough." Sydney responded. She turned away from Sark and stood on tiptoes in an attempt to finish hanging the last of the framed pictures she had purchased. This particular one was of a unicorn in a field of pink wildflowers. She glanced over her shoulder, holding it steadily in place. "Is this even?"

"It looks perfect." Sark told her after analyzing the picture for a minute. "Wait, just a little more up on the left." Sydney adjusted the picture and then he nodded. "Now it's perfect."

"Thanks." Sydney marked the place on the wall and picked up a nail to begin hammering into the place she marked.

"Oh Syd, the hammer is so loud, it might be hurting her ears!" Sark quickly scooped Ava into his arms, cradling her head gently with one hand.

Sydney paused mid-hammering and smiled at Sark's care for their daughter. "Why don't you take her downstairs to the kitchen and start figuring out what we're going to cook and I'll join you when I'm finished here."

"Will do." Sark planted a quick kiss at the corner of her mouth and then left the room, still cuddling his baby.

………

"So, I've been thinking…"

"That's always dangerous." Sark smirked at Sydney across the kitchen counter the following morning.

Sydney rolled her eyes and snatched the mug of coffee away from him, which he had just finished pouring for himself. "Anyway, about last night…"

"Didn't you enjoy last night?" He questioned.

"Of course. Cooking dinner with you was fun and I think we were actually pretty damn successful." She smiled and sipped slowly at the steaming drink.

"I agree."

"However, I'm not sure a night of dinner is adequate enough to make up for you missing out on the shopping date we had planned." She explained. "I think you owe me more."

"Oh?" Sark poured himself another cup of coffee. "What else did you have in mind then?"

"I don't know. I think you should surprise me."

"Fine with me." He glanced over at their daughter who was snuggled up in the small crib they had placed in the kitchen. They had arranged multiple cribs in all the significant rooms in the house so that she could always be near them. "Would you like me to plan a day for the three of us or should I ask Eileen or Penny to look after her for the day?"

Sydney smiled at the thought of being alone with Sark for the day. "Yea, let's have her watched for a day."

"How's today?"

"Perfect." Sydney took another sip of coffee before sliding off the counter. "I'll go get ready."

"Then I'll start planning." He motioned for Sydney to leave. "I'll take care of her while you get ready."

Sydney glanced at Ava and nodded. "Thank you." She skipped out of the kitchen and up to her room to take a shower and dress for the day. Throughout the shower Sydney contemplated how different things had been the past few days. She had been having a difficult time finding happiness in her daily life, but ever since she had agreed to leave with Sark things had seemed practically perfect. She had been blissfully happy, and felt as if nothing could go wrong. She felt cared for and understood for the first time in a long time, possibly ever.

After her shower, Sydney dressed carefully in a casual white skirt that fit snugly on her hips and a black shirt that showed her stomach, which still slightly bulged from her pregnancy. Crossing the room quickly, Sydney pushed aside the floor-length curtains covering the tall windows and peered out at the weather. After noting the slightly grey skies, Sydney chose a lightweight blue cardigan from her wardrobe.

When she started applying some simple makeup, Sark knocked on the slightly open door and called out to her.

"I'm in here!" She called back, glancing in the mirror of the vanity table.

"Hey…" Sark approached her from behind and when he reached her, he bent over to kiss her ear.

"Don't distract me or I'll never be ready!" Sydney twisted her head away from him.

He placed his hands on her shoulders and rested his chin on top of her head, watching her in the mirror.

She glanced up and caught the expression in his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Sydney, you know how much I want to make you happy…"

Sydney smiled and placed her left hand over his on her shoulder. "Why do I have a bad feeling about what you're about to tell me?"

He sighed. "I'm afraid I have to reschedule our date."

"Sark!" Sydney turned around to face him, staring up at him with disappointed eyes. "Today was supposed to be about making yester up to me. Now you're canceling this too?"

"I know! I'm horrid and you have every right to hate me, but please don't." He knelt in front of her. "I give you my word, I will make it up to you somehow."

"Why do you have to cancel today?"

"I have another meeting."

"Who are you meeting so often? I thought you were taking a break from work."

"This isn't exactly work related. They're personal meetings."

Sydney nodded. "Personal. As in, none of my business." She felt a little betrayed that he was keeping secrets from her, especially when he was canceling dates with her to sneak off.

"You're angry." He observed.

"Yes, but I suppose I'll get over it with time." She stood. "Where's Ava? She's probably hungry."

"In the nursery. I turned the monitor on so we could hear her." Sydney headed toward the door of her bedroom and he followed her quickly. "Are you at least going to give me a smile or some sign that you will still speak to me when I return this evening?"

Sydney didn't turn around as she continued next door to the nursery. "I'll consider it…but I make no promises."

Sark stopped following her. "I'll take what I can get from you I suppose. Try to enjoy yourself today. If you need to go anywhere you can ask Joseph to drive you."

Sydney waved over her should at him as she turned into the nursery to retrieve her daughter from her crib where she had been fussing slightly in want of nourishment.

………

"Where are you?"

Sydney winced at the tone of her dad's voice coming in loud and clear over her cell phone. "I'm safe. I just needed some time alone with my daughter."

"You didn't tell anyone where you were going? How could you not expect us to panic?" Jack accused. "You've just had a baby and many a life-altering decision to raise it on your own. You shouldn't be alone right now."

"I'm not." Sydney snapped without processing her thoughts.

"What?"

"I have Ava." She quickly covered her mistake. "We're fine, I promise."

"That's not the point Sydney and you know it."

"The point is dad, I need some time to get to know my daughter and be away from the craziness that I have been dealing with for the past few months. Can you please just let me have this time and not ask anymore questions?"

"When will you come home?"

"I don't know. I have six weeks maternity leave. I may or may not come home before that time is up." She sighed. "I don't want to make you worry about me dad, but you just have to trust me."

"Sydney…"

"What?"

"Are you…you're not with anyone else are you?"

"Anyone else?" Sydney echoed.

"It's just not like you to run off on your own."

"I'm sorry that you can't understand dad. And I'm sorry that I didn't run it past you first, but I am a grown woman and fully capable of making my own decisions." Sydney reminded him.

"Of course you are." He gave in. "That doesn't keep me from worrying about you though."

"I appreciate it." She smiled into the phone.

"I love you sweetheart."

"I love you too dad." She glanced down at the sleeping baby in her lap. "Ava loves you too. She can't wait to get to know her grandpa."

Jack paused for a minute and when he spoke again Sydney could tell by his voice that hew as smiling. "I am anxious to get to know my granddaughter as well."

"Bye." She waited for him to echo her farewell and then hung up her phone, setting it on the small table beside the rocking chair where she was sitting in the nursery.

Watching her daughter sleeping began to make Sydney tired as well, so she scooped her daughter up and carried her into her own bedroom, curling up beside her on the large bed to take a nap before Sark returned. She didn't sleep long though. Only thirty minutes after she had fallen asleep, she was woken again by Sark's voice calling to her from down the hallway.

"Sydney! Where are you?" His footsteps were pounding quickly down the hallway as he neared her room and she wondered why he was rushing so fast.

"Sark…" She sat up slowly, yawning and being careful not to wake Ava who still slept soundly.

"There you are!" Sark rushed into her room and over to the bed. "I am about to make you forgive me for the dates that I have broken."

"That was quick." She glanced at the clock and realized that it wasn't exactly quick since he had been gone for a good twelve hours, but she was referring to the speed in creating a plan to apologize to her.

"Okay…" She leaned back on one elbow, resting on her side. "I'm listening."

"The meetings I have been going to have been concerning you."

"How so?" Sydney's interest was caught.

Sark was grinning broadly, in fact more than she could remember him grinning ever. His entire face seemed brighter. "I found it."

"You found what?"

"I have been meeting with different doctors, scientists, anyone who might have an answer, and today I finally found someone." Sark wasn't making very much sense and he realized this by the expression on her face, so he quickly simplified it for her. "Sydney, I found a man who is going to restore your memories to you. All of them."

"Sark…are you making this up?" Sydney sat up again.

"Of course not." Sark sat on the bed, sliding over to be next to her. "I would never lie to you about something as serious as this."

"Can he really do it? Can he really make me remember everything?"

"He says that he can. He is a specialist in the conservation of memories." Sark explained. "He has a private clinic in Oslo. You have an appointment with him next week."

"Next week?" Sydney couldn't process what she was hearing. The news was too incredible.

Sark grasped her hands in his. "Yes Sydney, you only one more week to live in confusion and then everything will make sense again."


	65. Everything is not Perfect

"Ava, sweetheart, seriously…" Sydney yawned with exhaustion as she stroked her daughter's back and rocked back and forth in the rocking chair in her room. "Just one hour of sleep please! That's all I'm asking for…" Sydney yawned again.

There was a soft tap on her bedroom door.

"Come in." She called out and the door opened.

"Hey," Sark entered the room, pulling a plain t-shirt over his head. "I thought I heard you talking…" He crossed the room to where Sydney was sitting and knelt beside her. "What are you doing up at this time of night?"

"She's being fussy." Sydney told him, nodding at their daughter. "She just refuses to let her mommy get any sleep!"

"Why don't you let me take her for a while so you can rest?" Sark offered, holding out his hands to take the child.

Sydney smiled, but shook her head. "Thanks, but I'm fine. I actually enjoy this."

"You enjoy being woken up by a crying baby at three o'clock in the morning?"

Sydney laughed at his expression. "Strangely, yes. I know it sounds weird, but it doesn't bother me. Everything about her makes me excited, even if it's rocking her to sleep in the middle of the night. I love being able to care for her."

"I know what you mean." Sark agreed. "She's incredible and knowing that I, or we, created something so perfect…"

"She is perfect." Sydney rested her cheek against her daughter's fuzzy head as she started to calm down and her crying had finally quieted. "Lately I have been feeling so confused and overwhelmed, not know what I'm going to do or how I'm going to explain everything, but then there are moments like these when I'm holding her and everything seems somehow more simple. It feels right."

"I'm glad something can bring you that peace." Sark wished that he could give her the comfort and peace that she clearly needed so much, but he knew that it was still too soon to try and offer her anything more than companionship.

"And tomorrow, hopefully there will be something else." Sydney smiled, thinking about the appointment they had to restore her memories the next day. "I'm so nervous, I don't know if I could sleep even if she wasn't crying every other second."

"Why are you nervous?"

"Because I don't know what I'm going to learn. I mean, if it works at all. There's still always the possibility that this doctor won't be able to give me back my memories at all." Sydney explained. "And even if he does…"

"Are you afraid of what you'll remember?"

"Sort of." Sydney shrugged. "I mean, I know some things, like that I worked for the covenant, and I was partners with Simon, and obviously I was with you…but what about all the details. What did the Covenant make me do? It was two years! I had a whole life where I was some sort of assassin…"

"You were still Sydney Bristow." Sark reminded her gently. "No matter what you did while acting as Julia Thorne, you were always yourself at the same time."

"That's what scares me the most."

………

"Miss Bristow, I am so pleased to meet you!"

Sydney eyed the doctor nervously, taking an involuntary step back towards Sark. He placed his hand on her back, hoping to offer courage. "It's nice to meet you as well Dr. Simmons." Sydney offered him her hand for a handshake.

He took her hand in both of his and shook vigorously. "Ever since Mr. Sark told me about your special situation, I have been most eager to perform this surgery on you."

"And have you done many like this before?"

"No!" He laughed a little, but Sydney didn't find it amusing. "Your case isn't exactly common now is it?"

Sydney glanced at Sark, who had moved his hand to her waist. He nodded at her encouragingly and she addressed the doctor again. "You are going to be able to recover my memories though?"

"I have every hope…"

"Hope?"

"More than hope, I am confident that this procedure will be absolutely successful." Dr. Simmons was grinning broadly. "Shall we begin?"

"Umm…I guess so." Sydney placed her hand over Sark's.

"It's going to be okay." Sark could feel her fingers trembling and he grasped her hand tightly. "I'll be right here waiting for you." He promised. "With Ava." He was holding the baby in his other arm.

"Okay, then I guess there's nothing for me to worry about." She sighed as Sark released his hold from her hand and the doctor motioned for her to follow him into the operating room. She started to follow and then stopped. "Sark, before I go…I mean just in case something goes wrong…"

"Yes?"

"Will you kiss me?"

Sark's eyes brightened and he used his free arm to pull her close. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." She nodded and quickly closed the gap between their lips, kissing him deeply. When they broke apart she was smiling. "Okay, now I'm ready."

"Good luck." Sark didn't know what else to say, but wishing her good luck seemed to make the most sense.

"Thanks!" Sydney curled her fingers in a slight wave as she followed the doctor into the operating room and he shut the door, blocking Sark from sight.

………

Nothing had ever tested Sark's patience as much as waiting for Sydney did that day. For the first two hours, he occupied himself with some reading, but as the third hour began to roll around, he had started to grow irritated. He desperately wanted to know how the surgery was going. He needed to know that Sydney was okay and that everything was going to work out. He hated not knowing.

Ava started to whimper and Sark promptly stood to pace the room while rocking her gently in his arms to calm her. "It's all right love, your mother is going to be out soon and she is going to be fine!" Clearly the words weren't very comforting to the baby because she persisted in crying. "Sweetheart, please don't cry." He shifted her in his arms, trying to make her more comfortable. "I don't know what to do for you." He patted her back. "You're probably hungry, but mommy's busy right now and she can't feed you…"

He was interrupted as the door opened and the doctor stepped out and beckoned to Sark. "It is finished."

"And?" Sark moved towards him eagerly. "Does she remember?"

"Well we cannot be certain, she's still out from the drugs I gave her. It will be a little while before she wakes up again." Dr. Simmons told him. "But there were no complications. Everything should be perfect."

"Can I sit with her until she wakes up?" Sark asked hopefully.

"I don't see why not." The doctor shrugged. "There's a chair in there you can use. It shouldn't be any more than thirty minutes."

"Thank you." Sark moved into the room where Sydney was lying on the operating table, peacefully slumbering with the drugs that she had been given. He shut the door and moved over to the table, still cradling his daughter in one hand. With the other hand he reached out and touched Sydney's hair softly. "You're going to remember everything." He kissed her forehead. "I can't wait until you remember. Everything is going to be perfect, just the way it used to be." He pulled the chair over to the side of the table and sat down, resting his daughter in his lap, but still keeping her secure in one arm. His other hand reached out and rested on Sydney's arm. He just felt a need to touch her. "I love you."

………

As the drugs began to wear off, Sydney's head felt as though it had been filled with filled with lead. She was dizzy and nauseas and she couldn't decide if she'd rather sit up hurriedly or let herself fall asleep again. Despite the heaviness in her head though, Sydney found herself remembering…everything. It all came rushing back into her mind like a release of water in a dam. She found it difficult to filter all the returning information. She desperately wanted the mental overload to cease, but found it impossible to restrain.

"Oh god…" she was barely able to mumble in horror as images of her past flashed through her mind.

Sark had almost found himself drifting to sleep, slumped back in his chair, keeping a firm hold on his daughter who was sleeping peacefully. His free hand was still lazily resting atop of Sydney's. He was brought back to full alert though the moment she made a sound.

"Sydney, sweetheart, can you hear me?" He leaned forward, closer to her, and grasped her hand. "Are you awake?"

She didn't respond, but continued to mumble, even more inaudibly. Her hand started twitching a bit though and he could see her eyes moving speedily beneath the eyelids. Still foggy with the drugs, Sydney found herself stuck in continuous replay of all the worst memories that she could imagine. No matter what she had thought her last two years were like, she never could have been prepared for what had actually happened. Nothing failed her memory now. She thought of everyone she knew, everything she had done…even the things that she was starting to wish she hadn't remembered.

"Sydney…" Sark was persistent in trying to waken her. He could sense that she was inwardly suffering, which is something that he had secretly feared for her sake. He didn't know the details of every moment of her two years, but he knew enough to realize that it couldn't have all been pleasant for her.

After nearly five minutes of her silent waking, her eyes snapped open and her mouth gaped. "Sark…"

"I'm here." He assured her.

"No…it's all…oh god…" She returned to her muttering.

"Sydney, please talk to me. Tell me what's wrong so I can help you!"

She turned her head to him slowly and he noticed tears springing to her eyes.

"Didn't it work?" Sark asked quickly, realizing that perhaps he had been wrong in jumping to conclusions about the success of the doctor.

She squeezed her eyes shut tightly and a tear slipped out and rolled down her cheek. "It did. I remember…oh I remember everything."

"Then isn't that good?" Sark hoped he was sounding optimistic and not expressing the fear that he was really feeling. "Isn't it exactly what you wanted?"

"It's awful." She admitted. "The things I did…the person that I was…"

"Sydney, you've been months without your memory. It will take some time to get comfortable with them, I expect, but I promise to help you adjust." Sark lifted Ava onto his shoulder and Sydney seemed to only just remember that she was there.

"I can't…"

"You can't what?"

"I can't do it, it isn't who I am…I'm not ready for this…"

"Sydney, I don't understand. What is wrong?"

"Please, just leave me alone for a little while. I need some time…" She turned her head to the other side so as not to look at Sark anymore and let her tears stream down her face.

Sark stared at the back of her head for a moment. He didn't know how to respond to her suddenly coldness, but he felt that the only thing he could do was to give her her desired space. He stood, holding Ava protectively, and left the room. Out in the waiting room Dr. Simmons was reviewing a file.

"Dr. Simmons, I was wondering if I could discuss Sydney's situation with you for a moment." Sark approached the doctor apprehensively.

"Of course, Mr. Sark. Has she awoken?"

"Yes, but something is wrong."

"She does remember everything, doesn't she?" Dr. Simmons demanded quickly.

"Yes, but she's a wreck. Absolutely distraught." Sark explained. "She was shaking and mumbling and…" He paused, not quite sure how to express to the doctor the extent of his concern. "She asked me to leave. She acted as though she did not even want to see her daughter."

Dr. Simmons pursed his lips. "Depending on the details of her memories, Miss Bristow could take quite a while to become accustomed to having them back in her life. Some people would rather they could forget the terrors of the past. It could be that what she had forgotten, should have remained so."

"She will eventually calm down though and learn to accept what she has remembered, won't she?" Sark asked quickly.

"Again that depends on her. If she is strong and willing to come to terms with her past then she should have no problem moving on, but if she remains resentful towards her memories, she may not be able to process them appropriately." The doctor explained.

"What can I do to help her?"

"Be patient." Dr. Simmons shrugged. "Try to understand how difficult it is for her right now. Let her have the space she needs and the time she needs to deal with it on her own. Don't try to force her into discussing them with you. It may be easier for her not to let you in. Don't take anything she says or does too personally though. She may not perhaps be fully herself at this time."

Sark nodded, agreeing with what the doctor said, but still feeling a little hurt by Sydney's behavior only moments before. He had let himself become so excited about the return of her memories. He had thought that when she remembered everything, then they would return to how they had been, happy with one another. It didn't seem to be that way at all though. She would barely even look at him. How were they supposed to have a relationship?


	66. of course I love you

_A/N: I'm so sorry for my negligence! I have had a crazy month, irritating family issues and whatnot, but I'm back now, hopefully much more regularly! Thanks for all the reviews! Hope you're all still enjoying, review and let me know please! As always…Kisses. _

"Can I get you anything?" Sark waited hopefully and silently as Sydney stared straight ahead, not acknowledging his question or even his presence. "Are you perhaps hungry or cold? I could bring you a blanket…"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

She didn't respond.

"Sydney, you've been out here for hours." Sark pressed. "The sun is setting and Ava is going to be waking up for her nap soon…" He noticed her eye twitch slightly and he stopped. "Never mind. I can take care of her. There's a bottle in the fridge I can warm up." He hoped she would say something, but she remained silent. "Alright, if you need me, I'll be inside."

Turning to leave her, Sark paused briefly, glancing over his shoulder sadly. Ever since he had brought her back to Scotland from Oslo, she had been quiet…too quiet. She had barely said a word to him, and she had paid even less attention to their daughter. The doctor had told him that she might take a while to recover from the shock of whatever it was that she had remembered, but Sark didn't understand what could be so shocking. The only thing he could think of that might have shocked her was the intimate details of their relationship, but he had already told her about it, she shouldn't have let it surprise her.

When he reached the kitchen, Sark stood at the glass door staring out at her lounging by the pool with her eyes fixated on the distant line of the forest bordering his property. _Sydney…_he sighed sadly. _Please come back to me. _He hated what was happening. He had expected everything to be perfect now, but now he felt hopeless about the entire situation. _How could things have gone so wrong? _

"Mr. Sark, should I make dinner for you and Miss Bristow?"

Sark turned at Mitzi's voice. "Umm, no, if you could just fix something simple…I'll be eating in my office and if Sydney is hungry she will undoubtedly be eating outside or in her room."

"Of course Sir." Mitzi nodded and stared pulling pots from a cupboard.

"Could you keep an eye on her Mitzi?" Sark asked as he turned away from the window and crossed the kitchen. "She's not really in a talking mood, but just keep an eye on her. If she needs anything, just help her." He shifted his daughter in his arms. "Oh, and could you warm up one of the bottles from the fridge for Ava, please?"

"Of course, Mr. Sark." Mitzi responded obligingly again and continued preparing the dinner.

Sydney hadn't acknowledged Sark approaching her, nor had she responded to any of his questions. She had also not looked up when he left her. Sitting in silence seemed to be the only way to make him leave her alone, which he finally caught on to and did as she wished. After he had left her, she continued looking straight ahead, feeling instinctively that he was lingering at the window just inside, still watching her intently.

_I have to talk to him eventually. _She had been telling herself this for the past hour, during which Sark had been coming outside every ten minutes to check on her. _He won't understand unless I talk to him about it. _She turned her head towards the house and noticed that Sark was gone from view. She assumed he had withdrawn to the library or his office to pour over more notes that he had been making on her and everything that the Covenant had put her through. _He really does love me. _That thought made her smile. _And I really loved him. _She paused, reconsidering her thoughts. _I really do still love him, I think…_She sighed as more memories rushed through her mind. _How can I make him understand how painful those years were to me? He's been working freelance for terrorists and the like for most of his life! It's not who I am. _

"Miss Bristow!"

Sydney turned toward the voice and spotted Chet walking across the yard towards her. She lifted her chin just slightly to acknowledge that she saw him and then returned to staring blankly across the pool.

"Good afternoon." Chet greeted her as he neared. "I've been trying to find a moment where you're alone since you've arrived here! It's been rather difficult."

"I've been busy." She replied simply. Sydney realized that ignoring him wouldn't be as easy as ignoring Sark.

"I've noticed." He pulled a chair up beside her and sat down. "It's been good having you back here, even if I haven't gotten to see much of you. It's been better all the same." He smiled. "Everything is somehow brighter when you're here."

She nodded. "I like being here."

"Do you remember the time that we sat here together and I asked if I could call you Julia?"

Sydney sifted through her newly returned memories for a moment and then nodded, remembering the day with strangely perfect clarity. "That was when you still knew me as Miss Thorne." She remembered Sark coming out that day to shoo Chet away from her, claiming that he didn't like Chet's motives in being around her.

"Now I know you as Miss Bristow." He smiled. "I was wondering if I could now ask to call you Sydney?"

She paused, sensing the same attitude in Chet that he had had that other day. It was an attitude of pompous desire. She wondered what Sark would do if he were there now, but she knew that after her long silence he had finally chosen to leave her alone. "No, Chet." She replied suddenly, and surprising herself even a little. "No, I don't think you should. After everything…I just…I think it would be best if you continue to address me formally."

He looked a little irritated. "You and I were friends once."

"No Chet, we really weren't. I have my memories back now. You can't try and plant any false ones. I have only ever been the girlfriend of your employer and you have only ever wanted me to give you my attention." She stared at him intently. "But you should have learned by now that I would never be interested in you."

"Miss Bristow…" Chet pulled back sharply, looking now much more than a little upset. "You don't truly love Mr. Sark, do you?"

"He is the father of my child."

"Yes, but that didn't answer my question. You don't love him! And if you don't, then why shouldn't I have a chance?"

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I do." It slipped out before she had a chance to really consider what she was saying.

"You do?" Chet repeated. "Seriously? I thought all this time you were only staying here so that you could have some help with the kid. I didn't think that you really cared about him!"

"You think I'm that shallow?"

"Shallow…" Chet hesitated. "No, that's not what I meant…"

"You think I'm just here to use Sark because I can't handle a child on my own? Believe me I am more than capable of taking care of my daughter by myself, I just think that she deserves a mother and a father, and luckily for her she has both and we are in love." She stood up suddenly. "Now, I don't know how long I'll be staying here, but for the remainder of my time here I think it would be best if you just stay away from me. I find you annoying and uncomfortable to be around." She tugged her towel up from the chair and wrapped it around her waist.

As she entered the kitchen Mitzi glanced up from her cooking and greeted her with a polite smile. "Mr. Sark is in his study."

"Thanks." Sydney responded automatically. She wasn't looking for Sark, but she didn't feel like filling the cook in on all the details.

"He asked me to cook something and serve it to you wherever you like." Mitzi continued the cooking.

"Thanks." She murmured again, headed towards the hall. "I'll be in the library, so you can serve me in there."

"Yes Miss Bristow."

Sydney crossed the marble foyer towards Sark's study and paused at the closed door. She raised her hand to knock, but then reconsidered and backed away quietly before he could hear her. It was still too soon for her. Retreating quickly, Sydney made her way to the library where she could have more time alone to think.

In the library, Sydney made herself comfortable on the couch that she remembered sitting on many times with Sark while they had discussed ways to destroy the Covenant. They had never come up with anything of course, but she had enjoyed the lazy days she had spent in Scotland with Sark months ago. These days weren't quite as relaxing. Now she had too many thoughts to deal with…too many memories.

First she thought of working side by side with Allison Doren, stealing from the CIA. Those days had been miserable. She had been forced to work with the woman who had murdered her best friend, and she wasn't even able to express her hate. After spending a moment of thought on Allison, Sydney remembered when the Covenant had set Sark to work with her again and then she remembered how upset she had been to think of the two of them together. Even though Sark had assured her that he had no feelings whatsoever for Allison, Sydney had felt inexplicably jealous.

Trying to forget about those feelings, Sydney let her thoughts move on, this time reflecting on her time that she spent with Simon. These memories were almost more painful, mainly because she had to admit how she had let herself be used by him simply in order to feel cared for. Deep down though Sydney knew that Simon had never cared for her. All she was to him was a hot piece of ass. Perhaps more than anything Sydney despised herself for lowering herself to that point. She distinctly remembered the first night she had ever slept with Simon, the night she had learned about Vaughn's marriage. If she thought hard enough about it, she could still remember the way he had touched her and kissed her…he had acted so possessive, as though he had won her or something. She felt disgusted with herself even now thinking back on it. And not just that night either, but she hated herself for every time she had been with him after that.

Letting herself move on from memories of Simon, she drifted on to more enjoyable moments of her past years, in particular, the times that she was with Sark. She remembered the first time she saw Sark. It was at Simon's house and he had waltzed in acting, as usual, perfectly smug and yet charming at the same time. From the moment Sydney had started working as Sark's partner, falling for him was inevitable. She remembered resisting at first, telling herself that it was probably the worst choice she could ever let herself make, but everything that she learned about him only made her realize that he was nothing she had ever assumed him to be, and he was in fact everything that she could fall in love with. She remembered the first time they had kissed and the first time they had made love…because it was love. It wasn't just sex. Sydney smiled as she confirmed this for herself. _I did love him. I do still love him. _If only that was enough.

Sorting through all her recovered memories made Sydney realize that regardless of what she had been telling herself throughout the months of relationship bliss she had had with Sark, she had never fully adjusted to the idea. She loved Sark, and she loved being around him, and she loved the person that she was with him, but she hadn't managed to ignore the difficulties that an actual relationship would present.

_How can I make this work? _She had no idea what would happen once her weeks of maternity leave had expired and she was forced to return to LA and deal with reality. The main reality she had to deal with was how to tell everyone who the baby's real father was, and what was more, that she actually wanted to raise her child with him. _How can we raise a child when he's still on the most wanted list for the CIA? _She made a quick decision. _They can never know. They would never understand, and they definitely wouldn't accept my decision. In the meantime I need to stop torturing Sark. _She smiled to herself. _He doesn't deserve to deal with my problems. They're mine alone and I shouldn't put them on him. _

She had just started to stand, preparing to go and find Sark in his office, when her cell phone rang.

"Hello?" She answered it without checking the ID.

"Sydney!" Weiss' voice sounded frantic. "They know and they've found you. They're on their way!"

"What are you talking about?" She stood, as if that would help her understand Weiss' frantic message better.

"The CIA! Everyone, your dad, Vaughn, Dixon…they're on their way!"

"They're on their way where?"

"To you and Sark!"

"What?" Sydney nearly screamed.

"The security tapes at the hospital…" Weiss started to explain. "Sark slipped and they caught his face. Ever since then they've been going crazy trying to figure out where Sark lives! Somehow they connected him to a property in Scotland and they're on their way now!"

"They're coming here?"

"So you are there, then?"

"Of course I am! Where'd you think I'd be with my baby?" Sydney sighed. "Weiss, you have to stop them!"

"Sydney, I can't. They're already on their way. They're not happy."

"What are they going to do, arrest me?"

"No, not you. I heard your dad talking about something…"

"What?"

"Something that sounded like he thought Sark might have kidnapped you again for some reason…" Weiss hesitated. "You and the baby. Sydney, I'm afraid that if they find him…"

"You're actually concerned for his safety?"

"No. Not at all." Weiss spat. "But I am concerned for you, and against my preference, I know that you care about him greatly, and if something happened to him I don't think you'd deal well."

"No, I wouldn't." Sydney smiled at his care. "How much time do we have?"

"I don't know. Probably no more than a couple of hours."

"Thank you for calling. Seriously, thank you."

"Just be safe Syd, and remember, be careful. I know you trust him, but I still don't…"

"I know. I appreciate it."

"Call me when you're safe." Weiss wisely dropped his warning, knowing that Sydney didn't need to hear it. "Bye."

"Bye." Sydney hung up the phone and sprinted out of the library, nearly crashing into a very confused Mitzi who had been carrying a food-laden tray to the library. Sydney didn't slow down until she reached Sark's office and burst through the double doors. The alarming sound of the doors being thrown open clearly woke Ava because she started crying at once.

"Syd! Seriously!" Sark jumped to his feet, circled around the desk and swooped Ava out of the crib and into his arms. "She had just gotten quiet."

"I'm sorry, I'll take her, but Sark we have to get out of here at once!"

"What?" Sark cuddled his daughter close while waiting for Sydney to explain herself.

She told him everything that Weiss had said on the phone, barely pausing to take a break and then started ushering him out of the office. "Do you have someplace safe for us to hide?"

"Hide?"

"Yes, either here or nearby, until they're gone? I don't want anything to happen to this property, I love it so much, but if they think you're inside they might blow it up or something."

"Sydney, calm down, you're not thinking rationally. They won't blow up a building where they think you are being held prisoner." Sark followed her out of the office, though he wasn't rushing at all.

"Right." Sydney realized she was being a little illogical. "Well, we have to leave. They can't find you!"

"Sydney…" He stopped at the foot of the stairs, forcing her to look at him. "It's been twenty-four hours. I know because I haven't slept for a single minute of them…" He started rocking Ava in his arms and she finally started quieting back down. "You haven't said a word to me in almost two days, and now all of a sudden you tell me that your father and ex-boyfriend are coming to, well, probably coming to kill me…"

"At least I'm talking to you." She responded quietly.

"Not funny." Sark rolled his eyes.

"Come on, I'll talk to you, I'll explain everything. Okay? Let's just get out of here first!" She held out her arms for Ava and Sark reluctantly handed her over.

"I'll talk to Chet and have him get the plane ready. You should go and pack up some of your things, enough for a couple of weeks at least."

"We can't waste time!" Sydney argued. "We have to get out of here right now."

"Sydney, you said Weiss gave us at least an hour, maybe two. So pack some things up, I'll get Ava's things together and we'll meet back down here in fifteen minutes."

"Okay." Sydney started up the stairs, holding tightly to Ava. She stopped four stairs up and turned back to Sark suddenly. "We have to get out of here safely."

"We will." He assured her.

"Sark…if anything went wrong…"

"Are you worried about me?" He was smirking, and she despised him for being so confident when she was such a wreck.

"Of course I'm worried about you!" She retreated quickly back down the steps and wrapped one arm around his neck, still holding the baby securely. "I love you Sark."

His entire body seemed to relax under her arm as she whispered her confession into his ear. "Do you really, Syd?"

"Of course I do!" She felt an overwhelming urge to cry. "I'm sorry I ever made you doubt me!"

"Oh sweetheart, you didn't. I know you better than you realize." He circled his arms around her waist and kissed her deeply. "I love you too, but now we've got to get out of here or else we might all just die."

"You're so not funny right now." She kissed him again quickly and then trotted back up the stairs to pack in a hurry.


	67. Less than Content

_A/N: Sorry for the delay! I've been busy this week getting packed back up for college! Hope ya'll enjoy anyhow though, and review away! Oh and by the way, I've made it to 600 reviews! I'm shocked and sooo grateful! Thanks bunches! _

………

"Why do I feel like a homeless vagabond?" Sydney nuzzled her nose against her daughter's fuzzy head.

Sark gave her a slightly sad smile. "I feel terrible that this is the best I can do, but if they have learned of my Scottish property, they must have intel on my other homes as well."

Sydney glanced around the beautifully decorated hotel room. "It's not like this is a bad place or anything. It's actually pretty extraordinary." She assured him. "It's just that I wanted to spend my break enjoying your company in a relaxing manner, not on the run from my own company."

"You know them better than I do. When they discover that we're not there, what do you think they're next step will be?"

"I have no idea. They'll probably search every one of your properties, if they do actually have those locations." Sydney pondered. "And knowing my dad I'm sure they do know of them all."

"I wish I knew how they found us in the first place. I have always been so careful with my land in Scotland." Sark insisted, pacing back and forth in front of the bed where Sydney was sitting with her daughter in her lap.

"I know you have." Sydney remembered the first time she had stayed there with him and he told her about all the security measures he enforced with his property. "Sark, I'm sorry."

"For what?" He stopped suddenly and turned to look at her.

"This is all my fault. I never should have called you to the hospital, and I never should have invited myself over to your place with Ava. If it weren't for us, nobody would ever have come looking for you and now you're security has been ruined!"

"Stop right there." Sark knelt in front of her, placing his hands on her knees.

"It's true…" Sydney started to protest, but Sark cut her off again.

"Sydney, when you called me to tell me to come to the hospital my heart soared. I knew why you were calling and I was more excited than you could ever know. You didn't force me to come there, I came by choice because I couldn't wait to see my child!" Sark's smile was so genuine that Sydney couldn't help smiling as well. "And when you asked to spend more time with me…" He rested his chin on his hands, staring up into Sydney's eyes. "I would give up every piece of land that I own if it gave me more time with you."

"You really mean that don't you?" Sydney shifted Ava to one arm so her right hand was free to grasp Sark's hands.

"Every word." Sark assured her, pressing his lips against her hand.

"I'm sorry I ever doubted you." She told him softly. "When I think about how much time has been wasted because I was afraid of letting you get too close…all that time we could have had together…" She placed her hand on his cheek. "We could have been so happy."

"We still can be." Sark reminded her. "I am hopeful for us." She shook her head and his eyes clouded instantly. "Why are you shaking your head? Is it wrong for me to have hope?"

"No not at all, but it's just that you don't have to hope…" She explained.

"What do you mean?" Sark clutched her hand tightly.

"I think…" She paused. "No, I know…" Now she was smiling. "Sark, I love you."

"You've said that before, but do you truly mean it, Sydney?" Sark was squeezing Sydney's hand so tightly it almost hurt, but she didn't care. The smile that he was giving her was the best feeling Sydney could ever remember.

"I do."

"Oh god, I love you so much Sydney!" He released her hand instantly and reached his hand up to her neck, raising himself enough to meet her lips with his.

She enjoyed the deep kiss for a minute, but soon Ava woke and started to cry, forcing them to separate. Sydney smiled down at the little girl in her arms and sighed. "She's wet."

"I'll change her." Sark offered easily.

"You're nice." Sydney handed Ava over to him and he set her down on the floor. "Wait, I'll get a towel." She jumped off the bed and rushed into the bathroom to retrieve a towel for Sark to place the baby on.

While Sark changed their daughter, Sydney started searching through her hastily packed luggage for something more comfortable than the jeans she was wearing. She had found an old pair of pants at Sark's Scottish estate, but they still felt too tight, considering the leftover baby bulge in her stomach. Settling on a pair of loose sweatpants, Sydney headed to the bathroom to change. When she emerged, Sark was grinning at her.

"What?" She asked instantly,

"I think it's cute that you go into the bathroom to dress. I have seen you naked, you know."

Sydney blushed and diverted her eyes from his, pretending to be focused on carefully folding her jeans back into the suitcase. "Sark, I know that I've announced my feelings for you now, but I'm not quite ready to go any further with our relationship right now."

"I understand."

Sydney kept her back to him, but a moment later she felt him standing just behind her and she smiled. "Do you really understand Sark?"

"Yes, absolutely." He laid his hand on her shoulder so lightly she almost couldn't feel the touch. "I have always assured you that I would never rush you into anything. That will never change. I respect you far too much."

"I know." Sydney turned to face him, her face suddenly lit with an idea. "We'll go back to LA."

"I'm sorry?"

"To my place in LA. I'll make an appearance so everyone will stop hunting you. I can make up a story about where I've been. I'll say that I needed a vacation and so I went away. They will have no reason to suspect that you kidnapped Ava and me." She explained in a rush.

"Sydney, that's lovely, but how will we explain my returning with you?"

"We won't." Sydney told him. "They won't know. You've stayed with me before and nobody knew, well except for Weiss, but he's my neighbor so that was inevitable. We'll be more careful this time."

"So, I'm just supposed to hide out at your house for the rest of my life?" Sark clearly wasn't as convinced of the plan as she was.

"Until we're certain they've stopped looking for you and it's safe for you to return to your own homes." She paused. "I probably won't be able to go with you again though. It would look suspicious if I disappeared again."

Sark considered her plan for a moment and then answered slowly. "Perhaps it would be better if you returned to Los Angeles without me."

"What?" She hadn't been expecting that announcement. "No…"

"Sydney, hear me out." He pleaded.

"They clearly have suspicions now, concerning us, or me at least. I was seen at the hospital, which was my fault, but still as long as they are worrying about why I was there, they will not leave you alone." Sark explained rationally. "If they think I might come around you again, they'll be watching you endlessly. There would be no hope of me staying hidden for long."

"We can." She insisted.

"Sydney, if they realized that you were hiding me…" He shook his head. "I would never forgive myself if something happened to you because of me."

"Nothing is going to happen to me." She felt very adamant about Sark returning with her to LA.

"Sydney, I know that you want me to be able to have time with Ava, but eventually we are going to have to confront the fact that I will not be around always."

"Why? Are you dying sometime soon and just forgot to tell me about it?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Sydney, this isn't a time to joke." Sark sat on the edge of the bed and placed Ava down in the middle of the bedspread so she could wiggle around to her heart's content while he tried talking his thoughts out with her mother. "Being able to enjoy Ava together for these past couple of weeks has been delightful. It has been a dream, really."

"It's been as it should be."

"Yes, true, but we both knew that it wouldn't last. You never planned to live with me in Scotland forever." He noticed her frown. "Sydney, you knew that once your maternity leave was up, you would have to return to work, or else you would become a member of the CIA's most wanted list, the same as me."

"I know." She hated that Sark was a hunted man. He had been inactive for a long time now. Other than the work he had been doing with her and the Covenant, he had been doing no terrorist activity whatsoever. She wished that everyone could see what a good man he was, but she knew they wouldn't be able to accept it like she had. "It's not fair though. Our time has been cut short. We were supposed to have two more weeks together."

"I know." He reached out to take her hand, but she was pacing again and he couldn't catch hold of her.

"I don't want to go back to LA alone, not knowing when I might be able to see you again!" She turned to face him.

"Sweetheart, are you going to cry?" He smiled at her and she quickly blinked away her tears.

"No."

"Sydney, if you agree to return to America alone and take care of yourself and our baby girl, then I promise to come and see you as soon as I can be certain that it is safe." Sark reached out to her again and this time she gave him both her hands and let him draw her close.

"I still don't like it." She told him as he folded her into his arms.

"Neither do I, but we don't have a choice." He held his arms around her tightly, wanting to never let her go.

………

"How's the new nanny?"

Sydney rolled her eyes. It was impossible to miss the note of sarcasm in Weiss's voice. "She's fine."

"Oh, I'm sure she is fine, but what I really meant was how do you like her?"

"Well enough." Sydney snapped.

"I'm only asking because you seem to have liked them all until you fired them." Weiss reminded her. He grinned. "How many has it been now? Five?"

"Three." Sydney sighed. "It's a mother's responsibility to be demanding of the nanny that is taking care of her child."

"I know, but Syd, seriously, nobody's perfect." Weiss told her.

She didn't like the tone in his voice. "Are you referring to my nanny, or to me?"

"I told you I didn't want to get into that again."

"Right, sorry." Sydney glanced at her cell phone. She had been checking it religiously every thirty minutes since she had left home that morning. She hated leaving Ava with a nanny, it didn't feel right. She had no choice, though, if she wanted to keep on working and there were too many loose ends in her life for her to abandon the CIA right now. "Back to work then."

Weiss gave her one last knowing smile before returning to his own desk across from hers. When she was sure that she was alone, Sydney instantly dialed her home using her cell phone.

"Hello, this is Sydney Bristow's residence." The nanny answered after the third ring.

"Hi! Molly…it's Sydney." She was speaking quietly so nobody would overhear her. "I just wanted to check in and make sure that Ava was doing well." She paused. "She's doing well, isn't she?"

"Absolutely, Miss Bristow. She's as content as can be." Molly replied. "Just as she was the last time you called to check in…thirty minutes ago."

"Right, of course she is." Sydney sighed. "I'm sorry, I'm calling you too much aren't I? I'm just worried, you know?'

"Of course you are ma'am."

"I'm sorry, I won't call anymore." Sydney promised. "But I'll be home soon…"

"I thought you said you would need me until this evening."

"Well, yes, I thought I did…but I'm actually not going to be gone for as long as I had expected…" She hoped she sounded convincing. The truth was Sydney felt utterly unable to be away from her daughter for more than an hour at a time and today she had already been gone for two. It was torture. She hated knowing that another woman was taking care of her child.

"Okay then I guess I'll see you soon."

"Yep." Sydney couldn't handle it for much longer. "I'll be home as soon as possible." She hung up and immediately started packing up her purse, hoping to escape easily from the office.

"Sydney!"

_Dammit. _Sydney sighed, dropping her purse back on the desk. _No such luck. _She turned to Dixon with a smile. "Yes?"

"We have a meeting in five minutes."

"Is it mandatory?" She asked without thinking.

Dixon looked at her strangely and then nodded. "Yes it is. Why, do you have somewhere else you need to be?"

"Nope. I'll be there." She assured him, though with a somewhat resentfully forced smile.

"Good." Dixon analyzed her expression again before heading back to his own office.

Sydney briefly considered the consequences if she decided to skip the meeting and go home to attend to Ava, but then she remembered the discussion she had had with Dixon only three days ago during which he had forced her to make a choice between motherhood and the agency. Of course she had chosen the agency. As she had already decided with herself, she was not ready to give up her work with the CIA, but at the same time she was too consumed with her daughter to fully commit to her job anymore. Things had changed. She wasn't the same Sydney Bristow she used to be, but nobody at work even seemed to notice that she had changed. Except perhaps for Weiss, but he was clearly desperately trying not to notice the change because he knew that it involved Sark.

"Sydney!"

She gritted her teeth at the dainty English drawl. _This day just keeps getting worse and worse. _She turned her head to acknowledge that she had heard Vaughn's wife calling to her.

"Hello Lauren."

"How are you?"

Sydney tried not to roll her eyes. Lauren had a way of starting every conversation with unnecessary proper chitchat, which drove Sydney crazy. "Good." She decided not to give Lauren the pleasure of continuing the conversation longer than absolutely necessary.

"Good…" Lauren hesitated and very briefly a crease appeared in the flawless porcelain skin of her forehead. "I was wondering if you have been in contact with Arvin Sloane, lately."

Sydney frowned. _That's a strange question. _"No, I can't say that I have."

"Really?"

"Yes." _Does she think I'm lying to her? _ "I haven't spoken to Sloane in a few weeks."

"Oh…" Lauren sounded disappointed.

"Why?"

"Never mind. It isn't important, not really if you haven't spoken to him."

"Are you sure?" Sydney picked up a note of anxiety in Lauren's tone. "Is there something you need him for?"

"Not exactly." Lauren hesitated. "It's just that he and I used to keep frequent contact, as part of my job description, you know." Sydney nodded. "I haven't been able to reach him though in quite a while. At first I thought he was simply too busy to return my calls, but now considering how long it's been I feel that it might be something more serious."

"How long has it been?"

"Almost six weeks."

"Really?" Now it was Sydney's turn to feel anxious. It was never a good sign when Sloane went MIA.

"Yes, it's strange, isn't it?"

"Very." Sydney agreed. "Have you spoken to Dixon or anyone about it?"

"I've mentioned it of course, but nobody has any information. I thought that perhaps you might, seeing as you have known him the longest."

"No I haven't." Sydney answered quickly. "My dad has."

"Well, yes, him as well, but he doesn't' tend to enjoy discussing Arvin Sloane."

"Understandable." Sydney smirked. "Neither do I, if I can help it."

"Of course." Lauren smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry for bringing this matter to you. If you hear anything though…"

"I'll let you know." Sydney finished, cutting her off swiftly.

"Thank you." Lauren didn't leave though as Sydney had hoped she would. "How's your daughter?"

"Fine. Thanks for asking." Sydney didn't actually appreciate Lauren asking about Ava. She felt that it was distinctly none of Lauren's business, but she could tell that Lauren was only trying to be cordial since Vaughn and Sydney were still not on polite speaking terms.

Lauren only nodded in response this time and finally seemed to take the hint that Sydney didn't want to talk, because she abruptly walked away.

Sydney instantly retrieved her cell phone and slipped off to the small room down the hall where people often took private phone conversations. It was one of the only rooms without cameras or microphones, ensuring absolute privacy.

Before dialing, she glanced at the clock and noticed that the meeting was starting, but this phone call was more important at the moment, so she dialed the number quickly.

"Hello!" His voice didn't even try to hide the delight he felt from her calling.

"I'm sorry, but this isn't a social call Sark."

"Am I in trouble?" Sark asked.

"No." She smiled. "I was actually calling because I need a favor."

"Anything for you sweetheart."

She smiled again. "Anyway, Sloane's gone missing, which makes me very uncomfortable."

"As it probably should." Sark agreed. "How long has he been gone?"

"A few weeks at least. Have you heard anything?"

"No, but I've been laying pretty low myself ever since you called the CIA off me. Even if they're not pursuing me at the moment, I doubt they'll give up if they think I had enough interest in you to venture into the hospital." Sark reminded her.

"I'm sorry."

"Sydney, we're not going over this again." He insisted.

"Okay," she quickly switched back to her original topic. "I can't really talk right now anyway, I'm late for a meeting, but just keep your ears open and if you hear anything at all…"

"You'll be the first to know!" He promised.

"Thanks."

"Anytime." He paused and so did she. She wasn't going to be the first to hang up when all she really wanted was to keep on talking. "Sydney, are you still there?"

"Yes."

He laughed slightly. "Is there something else you wanted?"

"No." She sighed. "I'm just not ready to say 'goodbye' yet."

"I know the feeling." He was quiet again. "I'll call you soon, okay?"

"Okay."

"I love you."

"I love you too." Sydney responded quickly.

He hung up without saying goodbye, which she noticed he had gotten in the habit of doing, perhaps it was to save either of them the trouble of actually saying the word that they so hated. Whatever the reason, she was grateful for the way he ended it on such a pleasant note.


	68. One Mystery Leads to Another

"Sark!"

"Wow, I don't think I've ever been greeted so enthusiastically before."

"Really? That's sad." Sydney smiled into the phone as she made herself comfortable on the couch. "I am glad to hear from you though. I'm thinking that you calling me so soon means that you've got some good news. Right?"

"Actually, I don't think you will take it as good news…"

"Sark, what's wrong?" She sat up instantly on the couch to focus all her attention on whatever Sark had to tell her.

"I have been searching for Arvin as you asked me to, but I have also not given up our search for whatever we can discover on the Passenger."

"Good, I've been trying to find out something too, but I haven't had much free time lately. Work's been keeping my days pretty busy and of course Ava's taking care of my nights."

"How's she doing?" He asked quickly.

"Fine." Sydney let herself get comfortable again. Talking about their daughter almost made her entirely forget that he had anything bad to tell her. "She is doing really well actually. She's smiling all the time. I can't get over how adorable she is. Every day it's like she gets cuter, but at the same time I can't believe that she could possibly be any cuter. She really is the most perfect little angel!"

"I know." He sighed. "I wish I could see her every day."

"She misses her daddy." Sydney told him softly. "I can tell. She was happier when we were all together."

"Syd, I'm not sure she can tell that I'm not there."

"Of course she can." Sydney insisted. "She loves you as much as I do and therefore it would be impossible for her not to miss you as much as I do, even if she can't quite understand what it is that she's missing."

"You always seem to know exactly what to say to make me feel better." He told her. "Thank you."

"I'm not just trying to make you feel better, Sark. I really do miss you." She heard the baby cry over the monitor and she stood quickly to retrieve her daughter from the crib in the nursery she had set up in the small spare room adjoining the living room. "I'm going to put you on speaker for a minute so I can change Ava's diaper. Let me know if you can still hear me."

"Loud and clear."

"Excellent." Sydney placed Ava on the changing table and removed her dirty diaper, burying it in the trash bin. "So, you had some bad news for me, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did." He hesitated. "Sydney, I really don't think you're going to want to hear this right now."

"Is there going to be a time when I do want to hear it?"

"Probably not, but I would at least like to tell you in person." He told her.

"I wish you could, mainly because I'm dying to see you, but how can we possibly arrange that?"

"We can't, I know." He paused again. "Not even for a minute?"

"Sark!" She couldn't help laughing. "You're stubborn."

"I am." He was laughing slightly as well. "You are too though."

"True." She finished fastening the fresh diaper around Ava and lifted up into the air. "Have I ever told you how glad I am that she has your eyes?"

"I assume we are back on the topic of our daughter…"

"Yes, we are." Sydney cuddled Ava close and kissed her softly on her rapidly growing head of hair. "God, I want you to be here with us."

"I can be. Just say the word and I will find a way to make it happen."

"Sark…"

"No, I'm not putting you on. I want to see you. I'm in LA, Sydney. I've been hanging around here just hoping for a chance to run into you somehow without anyone catching on."

"Sark, you shouldn't be here! Do you have any idea what kind of trouble you would be in if anybody every saw you?" Sydney glanced over her shoulder as though someone might be listening to her conversation, even though she knew it was impossible. The CIA didn't bug their operatives, especially not those who were assigned to covert operations like Sydney was.

"I know how to stay hidden when necessary." He assured her. "But if you want me to come out I will. Maybe we should just tell the truth, Sydney. Perhaps it will be the only way for us to ever attempt a normal life…"

"A normal life?" Sydney jiggled Ava as she paced around the nursery, speaking loudly so he could still hear her on the speaker. "Sark, we can never have a normal life as long as my agency has you on their most wanted list."

"Your father might understand…" He suggested. "Wouldn't he want you to be happy? Wouldn't he want your child to have a father who loves her and her mother very much?"

"I wish." She finished circling around the nursery and walked with Ava back into the living room, once again making herself comfortable on the couch, this time with Ava cuddled up in her lap. "Unfortunately, we don't live in a perfect world. And in the world we do live in, my father would never support his daughter being in love with a criminal."

"That hurts." He laughed. "It really does."

"I'm sorry Sark, but it's just the truth. It's not how I feel, but you know that it's what everyone else would think!"

"I know." He was quiet.

"Sark…" Sydney tried to say what she wanted, but she couldn't find the nerve.

Sark seemed to know exactly what she wanted to say and he completed her thought without even a moment's hesitation. "When and where?"

"Seriously?" For a moment she felt like she couldn't breathe. "Sark, we really shouldn't!"

"Sydney, tell me where you want to meet. Should I just come to your home?"

"It's way too…"

"Dangerous, I know, you have mentioned that now once or twice, but I am making a personal decision to ignore you when you talk about that." He informed her.

"Sark…I don't feel right about it…"

"I don't care." He insisted. "Sydney, I want more than holidays once a year with my daughter. I miss her unbearably as it is and it has barely even been two months since I have seen her, and you for that matter. How in the world could I survive a whole year?"

"Good point." Sydney pecked a kiss on Ava's nose. "Where are you?"

"A hotel downtown."

"If we meet, it should be somewhere public."

"Really? I was thinking _very_ private."

"Sark, I'm serious. The more crowded the better, that way there will be less chance of you getting spotted."

He didn't reply for a minute and Sydney knew that he was trying to find a way around her proposition. He clearly failed to though because a moment later he was agreeing with her plan. "Where do you want to meet?"

"How about the LA zoo."

"The zoo?'

"It's crowded."

"It has animals."

"Yes, that's what zoos typically have."

"See, in my mind, I was thinking something much more quiet. Just you and me and our daughter, perhaps some takeout and candles, and of course a bottle of Chateau Petreuse '82, of course."

"Of course." Sydney laughed. "It's good to know that some things never change."

"Well, some things do."

_Knock. Knock. Knock. _

Sydney jumped at the knocking on the door. She carefully cradled Ava in one arm and hurried to open the door. "You're not here, are you?"

He didn't reply, but when Sydney opened the door she had her answer. Sark stood on the front steps with a back of takeout looped over one arm, a bottle of his favorite wine in one hand, and a bouquet of two dozen red roses in the other.

"Oh my god!" Sydney unintentionally dropped her cell phone in her haste to wrap her free arm around Sark's neck and attack him with kisses, which he readily returned.

"Love, I do want to continue this, but perhaps we should move inside." He mumbled into her mouth as her kissing persisted.

Sydney stepped back and motioned him into her home, closing the door behind him. "I really want to hate you for risking everything and coming here, but I am finding it impossible at this moment."

"That's very good, because it wouldn't be a very good start to our evening if you hated me right off." He moved automatically into the kitchen and placed his load down on the nearest counter before turning back to Sydney with his arms out. "May I hold her?"

Sydney handed Ava over to her father and watched him cuddling her carefully for a minute before searching out a vase for the flowers.

"If you get caught here and arrested, I won't visit you when you're locked up."

"That's not a very nice attitude to have in front of your daughter."

"I'm just saying…" She smiled at him. "Don't get caught."

"Good advice." He shifted Ava to his other arm. "Can we eat now? The food's getting cold."

…………

"Hey Sark?"

Silence.

"Are you still awake?" Sydney peered over his shoulder, trying to determine whether or not his eyes were open. "Are you sleeping?"

He grunted. "Not anymore." He rolled over onto his side facing her. "What do you want?"

"Well, hello Mr. Grumpy." She rested her head on her hand. "You weren't really sleeping were you?"

He smiled. "No." He kissed her reassuringly. "I am exhausted though, so is this important?"

"You should be exhausted. You've been up all night with Ava." Sydney smiled. "I have to admit, it's nice to have a break for a night. I've slept better tonight than I have in weeks!"

"I'm glad I could help." He pulled the blankets up higher. "Though you are now robbing me of the few precious minutes of sleep I'll get before she begins fussing again."

"True." Sydney gave him a kiss. "I'll take her the next time, okay?"

"Really?" Sark sighed. "That would be wonderful."

She laughed. "I would have taken her earlier, but you were so determined to play daddy."

"I'm not just playing daddy, Sydney. I am a daddy and it is my responsibility as well as yours to care for our daughter, even in the middle of the night."

"I love you." Sydney told him spontaneously.

"Thank you." He smiled. "Now why did you wake me?"

"Well, we were enjoying ourselves so much tonight that I sort of forgot why you wanted to see me in the first place."

"I thought we accomplished why I wanted to see you." He started kissing her ear. "We can always go again though if you need a reminder."

"Sark, that is not what I'm talking about." She giggled as his kisses started tickling down her neck. "Be serious. You said you had something important that you could only tell me in person."

"Oh, that." He leaned up on his arm. "That is serious. Perhaps we should wait until tomorrow when we're both more awake."

"No, Sark, tell me now."

He stared at her firmly. "It's about the passenger."

"Okay…"

"Sydney, I managed to obtain her DNA information and I had a contact of mine run a trace on the DNA, to see if it came up with any matches…"

"And?"

"Sydney it came up with you."

"Me? Sark I am not the passenger! Remember that freak who tried to kill me because he was trying to protect the passenger?"

"I know you aren't Sydney, I wasn't finished." He calmed her down. "It came up with a partial match to your DNA, implying that this woman, the passenger, shares some of your same genetic code."

"Like a clone?" Sydney was trying hard not to laugh at how absurd this was all sounding.

"No, not like a clone." Sark corrected her. "Like a relative."

"What?" Now Sydney was sitting straight up. "You think I'm related to the passenger? Sark that's ridiculous! I know all my relatives. I don't have any female relatives except for…" She stopped. "Mom. Sark, do you think my mom is the passenger? That could be why she didn't want us to keep looking for her!"

Sark shook his head. "Sydney, that isn't all."

"Oh?"

"There were two more partial matches and your mother was one of them."

"Well, who was the other?" Sydney was feeling a little excited now to finally have an answer to the mystery that has plagued her for so long.

"Arvin Sloane."


	69. Waning Trust

_A/N: Some of the dialogue is taken from the episode "Hourglass" in _Alias _season 3. I just wanted to say thanks to my reviewers, but I also wanted to say that I'm sad, because I feel like I have lost a lot of my faithful readers! Where are you all? I hope I haven't lost your interest with this story, because I'm nearing the end, but I need my reviews to keep me going strong! I'm writing as much as possible, but I am back in school now and my time is limited. Reviews are always encouraging and inspiring to keep me writing! So thanks for my readers and I hope you continue to enjoy!_

…………

"Dad, I have to talk to you."

"Sydney, where have you been? You missed the meeting this morning and believe me, I'm not the only one who's noticed that your work has been less than…"

"Dad, it's important." Sydney could care less how perfect her work had been for the past few days. She had much more important things on her mind, like figuring out how in the world the Passenger could be a woman who shared DNA similarities with herself, her mother, and the man whom she considered to be one of the most evil people alive. "Please."

Jack glanced around the crowded office for a moment before nodding and giving into his daughter's desperate pleas. "Over here." He led her into the private room that she used to make all her secret phone calls. "What is it?"

"Have you heard from Sloane?"

"Since when?"

"I don't know, for a while."

"I heard that he was missing, that was one of the things that was discussed at the meeting this morning, which you would know if you had been there…"

"Dad, I'm sorry I wasn't there, but I had other things to do."

"Things that were more important?" Jack frowned. "Sydney, this is your job!"

"You don't understand."

He sighed and gave her a sympathetic half-smile. "Sweetheart, I know that you want to spend a lot of time with your daughter, and I sympathize with how devoted you are to her, believe me I do know the feeling, but you assured Dixon that you would not let her interfere with your work."

"This isn't about Ava!" Sydney protested. "I am devoted to her, and I do want to spend every moment possible with her, but I am not letting her get in the way with work. Trust me, the reason I missed the meeting today had to do with something else entirely."

Now Jack was frowning again. "What's going on, Sydney?"

"I don't know how to explain it all to you, and I don't actually think I can right now, but I just need you to trust me. It is very important."

"Important to who?"

"To me, and to this agency." Sydney answered defiantly.

He considered her words for a moment before nodding. "What is it that you need from me?"

"Your trust for one thing." She paused and waited for him to nod in confirmation before continuing. "And I need to talk to Sloane."

"I don't know where he is, Sydney. His disappearance has been as much a mystery to me as to anyone else."

Sydney contemplated her choices. It was a letdown for her dad not to know where Sloane was. She had felt confident that he would know; somehow he always seemed to know everything. "Fine, then I need to find mom."

"What?"

"Mom, I need to talk to her. Do you know where she is?"

"I haven't talked to your mother in a while, you know that. She cut off communication with me when I asked her about the passenger, remember?" Jack did not sound thrilled to be discussing his ex-wife. "Why in the world do you need to contact her?"

"I told you that you needed to trust me." She reminded him.

"I know, but Sydney, I'm not sure you always understand what you are getting yourself involved with." Jack warned her.

"Believe me, I can take care of myself."

"Sweetheart, I don't want to see you get hurt again. Do I need to remind you that you were missing for two years?"

"Umm, no." She shook her head. "I remember that, thanks."

"And now you have a daughter to think about. You can't go running off on your own missions all the time like you used to."

"I'm not alone." She snapped before considering what she was saying.

"What?" He picked up on it instantly.

"I just mean that I'm not rushing off anywhere alone…" She quickly tried to cover up her slip. "If I go anywhere, I'll be sure to let you know."

He didn't seem convinced. "Sydney, is there something you're not telling me?"

"Dad, I have to go. If you find out anything about where Sloane is, or Mom, please call me right away."

Jack watched his daughter slip out of the room and head down the hall towards the door, rather than back to her desk where she belonged. He felt nervous watching her leave, and he knew instinctively that she was definitely hiding something from him and that made him more uncomfortable than he could explain. Making a quick decision, Jack darted out of the room and headed into the main office floor in search of an ally.

"Weiss!" Jack cornered him just as he was standing from his desk.

"Mr. Bristow…" Weiss looked a little concerned as Jack approached him. "Can I help you with something?"

"Yes, I need you to do me a personal favor."

"Okay…"

"Sydney is up to something."

"I'm sorry?"

"She is hiding something from me, and I need to know what it is."

"Sir?" Weiss panicked.

"She's been missing work and avoiding my questions. I don't trust her to take care of whatever it is that she's involved in, alone." He fixed his eyes on Weiss firmly. "You are her neighbor and I know she values your friendship. I need you to find out what she's hiding and then inform me immediately."

Weiss nodded, not knowing what else he could do, but agree with his superior. "Okay."

"Good." Jack moved away from him briskly, confident that Weiss would not fail him.

Being certain that Jack wasn't going to return, Weiss immediately gathered his paperwork for the day, stuffed it in his briefcase, and departed from the office, planning to drive directly to Sydney's and speak to her in person. He didn't know what to do. He couldn't exactly tell Jack that he already knew what it was that Sydney was hiding, and that he had known for months and had in fact been helping her hide her secret, but he didn't know how long he would be able to deceive Jack either. Jack wasn't someone that liked to be deceived.

When he reached Sydney's home, Weiss parked in the driveway and ran to the door, knocking only once before opening the door with the key that she had given him when she had first moved in.

"Sydney!" He called out as he entered the house and shut the door again. "I know you're here, Sydney! Come here, I have to talk to you!"

"Would you mind please keeping your voice down?"

Weiss spun around in surprise toward the nursery where Sark was approaching him, cradling Ava in his arms.

"You!"

"I had just gotten her to lay down, and you come in shouting like a madman and wake her up again!" Sark accused.

"Sydney!" Weiss continued to yell, ignoring Sark's plea.

"She's in the shower." Sark told him. "When she is finished, she will come and speak to you. In the meantime, would you care for a cup of coffee?"

Weiss glared at him. "Why the hell would you ever assume that I would take a cup of coffee from you?"

"It's good manners." Sark answered calmly, already moving toward the kitchen.

"You and I are not friends, Sark." Weiss reminded him, reluctantly following him into the kitchen. "I put up with you being here because I know that it makes Sydney happy, even though I still don't understand that part of her insanity."

"And I appreciate how you have kept our secret." Sark told him genuinely. "It means a lot to Sydney to have a friend that she can rely on, as do I"

"Stop talking to me." Weiss grunted. "The only reason I haven't turned you in is because of Sydney. I'm doing no favors for you."

Sark surrendered and gave up trying to talk with Weiss, but he still poured Weiss a cup of coffee with the one hand he was able to spare, since he was still holding Ava. When he handed the cup to Weiss, he realized that Weiss was not about to accept it, though he continued holding it out to him, waiting patiently for the CIA agent to give in. He waited for almost a full minute before Sydney luckily saved them both.

"Erik!" She greeted him with a wide smile and a hug, which he returned only half-heartedly.

"Sydney, you promised me that he would be gone yesterday." Weiss started in on her right away.

Sark sighed and finally forsook the attempt to give Weiss coffee, and instead handed the cup to Sydney who took it gratefully. "Erik, I told you that I wanted him to stay with Ava while I was at work."

"Isn't that why you have a nanny?" Weiss reminded her, but her scowl made him silent on that topic. "Okay, fine, so he's been taking care of Ava, good for him, but Sydney he's been here now for almost a week! Eventually you're going to have someone else stop by, someone who is not me."

"I know, but we'll deal with that when the time comes…"

"Syd, it may be coming sooner than you think." Weiss told her.

She glanced at Sark and then back at Weiss. "What do you mean?"

"You're dad cornered me today."

"What?"

"Don't worry, he doesn't know anything…nothing solid at least, but he does know that you are hiding something from him and he asked me to figure out what it was." Weiss told her. "What am I supposed to tell him? I don't know how long I can keep lying to him."

"Erik, please, you can't tell him."

"I know, but Sydney, you have to tell him something. He's very suspicious, and we both know your dad is too smart to be oblivious forever."

Sydney nodded and stepped closer to Sark. "It may not be safe for you here any more."

"It wasn't safe for him here in the first place!" Weiss reminded her.

"I can go to a hotel…" Sark decided.

"No, I think you should leave LA." Sydney told him. His expression told her how unhappy he was with that thought. "At least for a little while, until I can get my dad to start interrogating my friends."

Weiss nodded his agreement.

"But what about…" Sark drifted off, not sure how to tell her what he wanted to say in front of Weiss.

Sydney picked up on what he was hinting at though and shrugged. "We'll figure it out somehow. There's not much we can do right now anyway. We're sort of at a dead end."

Sark nodded.

"What are you guys talking about?" Weiss asked quickly.

"Nothing important." Sydney told him. "There's just something that we're working on…" She stopped suddenly as the doorbell interrupted them. "Oh my god, it's probably my dad!" She turned to Sark with terror in her eyes. "You have to hide!" The doorbell sounded again. She took Ava quickly and turned to Weiss desperately. "Please take Sark to your house! Use the back door and you can cut across the yard."

Weiss looked ready to argue, but her eyes convinced him not too. "Fine." He simply muttered and motioned for Sark to follow him towards the back door as Sydney rushed to the front door.

She pulled it open as the doorbell rang for the third time, deciding that waiting any longer would seem much too suspicious. When she opened the door though she was shocked not to find her father waiting there for her. She stepped back automatically and called out over her shoulder. "Sark! Come here!"

"He's here then is he?" Sloane asked as he stepped into the house and shut the door, never taking his eyes off Sydney. "That's good."

She didn't respond. She couldn't think of anything to say. Ever since Sark had told her about the DNA match for the passenger, they had both been using every connection possible to search for Sloane, but had come up with nothing. And now all of a sudden he just showed up on her doorstep as though it were a normal everyday occurrence for him.

"Sydney, I understand your confusion, or perhaps your anger for seeing me here, but I need to talk to you." He told her calmly.

"Sark!" She bellowed again, stepping further back into the living room. Sloane stood by the door patiently waiting for her to recover from the shock of seeing him.

Sark rounded the corner with Weiss on his heals, but they both stopped suddenly when they spotted Sloane standing by the door. He smiled at them both in greeting and nodded politely to acknowledge them.

"What are you doing here?" Weiss demanded instantly. His eyes darted to Sark seeming to somehow blame him for Sloane's presence in Sydney's house.

"Agent Weiss, it's good to see you again."

Weiss frowned. "Can't say the same about you." He crossed toward Sydney and stood beside her wit his hands on his hips as though offering her some sort of protection.

Sloane shrugged and turned to Sark. "Julian, I see you and Sydney have managed to keep your relationship intact. Well done."

"Not that it's any business of yours Arvin, but yes, we are doing just fine." Sark answered smugly. "Now, perhaps you would be kind enough to explain what it is you want from Sydney."

"Actually, I was hoping to speak with both of you. I think you know what about." He glanced at Sydney and she nodded.

"Erik…" She turned to Weiss apologetically.

"What? No, Sydney, I'm not leaving you here alone with the two of them!" Weiss insisted.

Sydney's eyes drifted to Sark and she caught his smirk. "Erik, I'll be fine. Sark and I need to speak with Sloane…and I'm afraid it's kind of a private situation. I promise I'll be okay."

"Sydney!"

"I'm serious." She cut him off. "Please, just go back to the office and try to keep my dad calm as long as possible."

Weiss looked ready to explode with frustration, but he nodded finally and moved to the front door. "If you need anything, you know I'm only a phone call away."

"I know." She smiled at him gratefully. "Thank you for stopping by."

He grunted and glared sharply at both Sark and Sloane before leaving.

When they were alone, Sydney motioned the two men into the living room. "Now, how about telling us what's going on?"

Sloane sat on one couch while Sark sat on the opposite one, nearest to where Sydney was still standing. "I need to talk to you about the Passenger."

Sydney's eyes darted briefly to Sark who's expression was remarkably blank. "What about the Passenger?"

"I know that you and Julian have been researching her identity."

Sydney didn't confirm his declaration.

"I have my connections Sydney. I know that you have not given up your search for her, despite what your mother said."

"Fine, that's true." Sydney agreed. "My mother might be sad to learn that she doesn't exactly have a lot of say in what I do."

"I'm glad. I wanted you to discover the truth of the Passenger…"

"Why?"

"Because I need your help." He paused. "I'm in trouble Sydney."

"What else is new?" She muttered.

He stared at her so seriously, she started feeling strangely sympathetic for him, though she couldn't explain why. After a moment she sat down beside Sark, giving Sloane her full attention.

"You may have noticed that I have been off the radar for a while, so to speak."

"Yes, we noticed." Sydney assured him. "The CIA has been going crazy trying to find you. They're not happy."

"There's something about me that you need to know Sydney."

"Oh?"

"I…I have a secret that I have never told anyone because I have always feared what it would do to my relationships, in particular my friendship with your father…"

"My father doesn't consider you a friend." Sydney told him curtly. "He hasn't for a long time."

"He did though, just as you did, once." Sloane reminded her. She didn't argue, though she didn't care to remember that unfortunate time of her life. "I have been keeping a secret though from your father for more than twenty years."

Sydney frowned. "Why do I have a feeling you are about to tell me that secret?"

"I wish I didn't have to, but it's not fair for me to hide it any longer. I just hope you can forgive me for any pain it might cause you." He took a breath. "I had an affair…"

Somehow Sydney knew instantly what everything meant. It all fit together in her mind as though the great mystery had been magically unlocked. Everything fell in to place and she realized that she didn't need Sloane, or anyone else, to tell her anything because she already knew. She stood again, rocking Ava slowly. "You had an affair with my mother."

Sloane's eyes widened as she completed his confession. "Yes."

"How long did it last?" She knew it didn't matter, but it seemed like the appropriate follow-up question.

"Six months."

"Why did it end?"

He paused. "I…I thought she had died, just as you and your father did."

Sydney nodded. "Have you ever told Emily?"

Sloane shook his head. "I've never told anyone."

"After everything you've done in your life…after all the atrocities that you have personally been responsible for, why was this secret so big?"

"It's the only thing I've ever felt truly guilty for."

She wanted to laugh.

"But, that's not what I want to discuss with you right now."

"I'm not done with this yet." She told him.

"Sydney, we can discuss the details later, but you can't focus on the affair right now."

"I'm not focusing on the affair." She told him firmly. "I'm focusing on the child that resulted from it, a sister I never knew I had." She felt Sark's eyes on her and she knew that he was as surprised as she was about how suddenly the truth to what they had discovered earlier was now coming to her.

Sloane nodded slowly. "It must have come as a shock to you. It did to me when I found out."

Sydney paused. "Are you telling me you didn't know?"

"No." He assured her. "Not until two years ago while I was in a monastery in Nepal run by followers of Rambaldi." He paused, looking at her strangely.

"Go on." She encouraged him.

"Sydney, the revelation that I had a child…it was overwhelming." He smiled. "I spent every possible moment from that day on searching for my child. Nothing was more important to me personally, or to Rambaldi…"

Sydney interrupted him, shaking her head. "You know she is the Passenger, don't you?"

He nodded, seeming a little surprised that she already knew as well. "Do you remember when I told you about the Di Regno heart?"

Sydney and Sark both nodded.

"I told you that it gave me a woman's DNA, the passenger, but I didn't tell you that it was also the DNA for my daughter." He paused. "The word that the message gave me, peace, translates into 'Irena'." He shrugged. "I did a DNA test to confirm that I was the father of the child and from them on I had no doubts. I created Omnifan and while I was inoculating millions of people against diseases, I was simultaneously able to gain access to medical databases that identified people through their DNA. I hoped it would help me find my daughter." His eyes grew sad. "I failed."

"Do you want to find her because she is your daughter or because she is the Passenger?"

"Sydney, I know you have no reason to trust me, but I need you to trust that I no longer care for Rambaldi's mission. All that matters to me now is finding my daughter before any harm comes to her."

Sydney wanted to press the Rambaldi matter, but chose instead to press the second issue. "Are you suggesting that she's in trouble?"

"Yes, I believe she is. I believe she is the Covenant's endgame."

The mention of the Covenant caught Sydney's attention. "What do you want me to do?"

"For the past few weeks I have been exhausting all my resources to obtain any information on her whereabouts, but all I have discovered is that the Passenger is somehow protected from being located by any human means."

"Human means?" Sark echoed.

"Yes, there is only one way that she can be located and it is by using a Rambaldi invention called the Hourglass."

"What's that?"

"I don't know exactly what it is, but I do know where it is." Sloane explained. "It was recently sold at auction to a man named Masa Raidon."

Sark frowned, contemplating the name. "Is he the man running yakuza's US shipping business out of San Pedro?"

Sloane nodded. "Yes. I have learned that Raidon owns a building in Little Tokyo, which is yakuza's stronghold. Raidon has a nightclub on the ground floor and there is a personal art gallery on sub-level 2."

"Let me guess, that's where the Hourglass is?"

"As far as I can tell." He paused. "Once you retrieve it, I need you to bring it back to me."

"Why would I do that?"

"The Hourglass will only reveal the Passenger's location to her father."

"Of course it will." Sydney rolled her eyes. She glanced down at Ava who had finally drifted off to sleep and then sat down again beside Sark. "Sloane, why are you even coming to me? Why not just hire someone to get it for you, or better yet, go get it yourself?"

"You're joking, right?"

"No." Sydney frowned. "Not at all."

"Sydney, you know why I have been in hiding for so long."

"Umm…no…"

He glanced at Sark. "Do you?"

He shook his head. "I've been more or less in hiding myself, trying to stay away from the CIA radar."

"Sydney, I believe we may have another problem."

"What now?"

"The reason I have been in hiding is because the CIA has a warrant out for my arrest."

"What?" Sydney laughed. "That's ridiculous. If the CIA was looking for you, I'm pretty sure I would know about it."

"Haven't you heard anything?"

"Well, Lauren mentioned that you were missing and she asked if I had had contact with you, which I thought was sort of strange, but…" Sydney drifted off. "Oh my god…they're withholding information from me."

Sark sighed. "They don't trust you anymore, Sydney."


	70. No Dying Dammit

_A/N: I'm back! I know…I'm horrid. It's been so long! I feel so bad. I really have no excuse, I mean I do technically, it's school. It's been so exhausting, but really I should have made more time for this story. Every time I tried to write it, I just got the worst writers-block. I'm back now though! I promise I will do everything in my power to be more faithful! Please tell me I didn't lose you all…_

……

"Dad! Behind you!"

Jack didn't even have a moment to process the three explosive gunshots that should have been fatal to him, before his human body shield had jumped in the way, taken the shots and crumpled to the ground. Reacting automatically, Jack aimed his own gun at the shooter, but he had already disappeared around the corner. He wanted to pursue, but as his daughter came sprinting towards him and the one who had fallen, he decided it was best to remain with her.

"Sydney, I…I'm sorry!" Jack wasn't sure why he was apologizing.

She ignored him and dropped to her knees, her eyes were already flooding with tears. "Sark!" She placed her hands over the bullet holes, uselessly trying to stop the excessive blood. "Dad, we have to get him out of here!"

Jack analyzed the situation—Julian Sark bleeding profusely from three bullet holes, which he had taken to save Jack, and Sydney kneeling beside him, devastated in every way. Jack had never seen his daughter like this; it was breaking his heart.

"Dad please, you can't let him die!"

Jack watched as Sydney stroked Sark's cheek, leaving a bloody trail of his own blood from her fingers, and then she leaned down and covered his lips with her own. Jack shut his eyes briefly before making up his mind.

"Come on. Help me get him to his feet."

…

36 HOURS EARLIER

…

"Dad, I need to talk with you."

"Is something wrong?" Jack's protective instincts seemed to kick in a lot lately around his daughter.

"Yes, something is very wrong. This is important." Sydney assured him. "Can we go somewhere private?" She glanced around the office. "Somewhere safe."

"Safe?" He frowned. "I don't understand. I assumed we were safe here."

Sydney shook her head. "If you don't want to talk to me, I'll understand and I won't bring it up again, but if you want to help, there is something very important that I need you for."

He only had to consider it for the briefest moment before nodding. "Meet me on the corner in ten minutes."

She smiled in relief and hurried away from him to gather her things from her desk. Jack left instantly, striding out through the front entrance boldly so as not to attract any unnecessary attention to himself. Sydney waited three minutes before exiting as well. She had to fight the urge to run down the sidewalk to the corner where she was supposed to meet her father, but she thought that running might look suspicious.

When she reached the corner, her father was waiting for her; his hands were shoved deep into the pockets of his sophisticated gray business suit. His lips were straight as she approached. He showed no emotion and no recognition.

"Dad, thank you for agreeing to this." Sydney gave him a hug, which he did not return.

"It isn't a good idea for us to be meeting like this without the CIA knowing. We shouldn't do this in open sight." He told her coldly. "There's a café across the street. Let's go there." He took her arm and they crossed the street together, remaining silent until they had been seated at a table tucked into a quiet corner of the café. "Now, what is this about?"

Sydney took a deep breath, chose her words carefully, and dove into the complicated conversation. "I've been lying to you."

"About what?"

"About a lot of things." She answered quickly. "Most importantly probably is that I know who the father of my child is."

He frowned. "Of course you do. It's Simon. We've been over this…"

"It isn't Simon." Sydney corrected him. "I told you before that I wasn't sure, but that's not true. I am sure. I know exactly who the father is…I've known for a while."

"I don't understand…" Jack paused. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I didn't know how you'd respond." She sighed. "Honestly, I didn't know if I could trust you."

"Sydney, of course you can trust me. I am your father."

"Then why haven't you been honest with me?" She retorted. "You've been keeping things from me too."

"What do you mean?"

"Why didn't I know about the agency's search for Sloane?"

"What?" Jack's eye twitched slightly.

"He contacted me. I know that he's been in hiding for so long because the CIA has been pursuing him so intensely. Why wasn't I informed? He thinks that there might be other things the CIA have been keeping from me. He thinks I've lost my agency's trust, and I think I agree with him."

"Sydney I don't know what to say." Jack told her. "It's true. Some things have been kept from you, but you will have to discuss this with Dixon."

She shook her head. "I don't care about that right now. I've accepted that there are some things I'm not going to be involved with anymore. It doesn't matter. There are more important things for me to worry about…specifically the passenger."

"Wait, weren't you going to tell me who the father of your child is?"

"Yes, but I need you to understand why I am choosing to tell you now."

"All right." Jack fell silent and let her speak.

"I believe that you are aware of the affair that mom had twenty-two years ago."

Jack nodded.

"By now I assume you've figured out that the affair was with Sloane." She waited for him to nod again before continuing. "What you probably don't know is that she got pregnant from that relationship, which is one of the reasons she disappeared when she did…"

"Sydney how do you know all this?"

"I've learned bits and pieces from different sources, but Sloane confirmed everything I wasn't sure about. Dad, I have a sister out there somewhere."

"How do you know she's still alive? Does Sloane know where she is?"

"No. That's why he contacted me. He wants me to help track her down."

"Why now?"

"Dad…she's the passenger." After her announcement, his calm response surprised Sydney. Studying the emotions in his eyes she realized that he wasn't confused or shocked by the information. "Oh my god. You already knew this." He didn't answer. "That's what the CIA had been keeping from me. They didn't want me to know about her."

"Sydney, we don't know what it means. There's a prophecy…"

"There's always a prophecy about something. I don't care about whatever Rambaldi wrote. I care about the fact that I have a sister that nobody told me about. I have to find her."

"How do you propose to do that?"

"Sloane thinks he has tracked her down, but he needs me to go and retrieve her."

"I don't like the idea of you working with Sloane."

"Well, neither do I, but I haven't been alone."

"Please tell me you aren't referring to Julian Sark again."

She nodded. "I feel like he's the only person I can trust anymore."

Jack didn't look at her for a minute, but suddenly his eyes snapped onto hers. "It's him, isn't it?"

"What?"

"He's the father of your baby."

Sydney nodded. "Yes."

"How long have you known?"

"A part of me has been suspicious for a while, but I knew for sure the first time I saw my daughter. She looks so much like him."

"She does?" Jack had to admit that he hadn't noticed, but the next time he saw his granddaughter, he would pay close attention.

"Especially her eyes." Sydney smiled a little and Jack didn't miss it.

"You care for him, don't you?"

"What?" She realized she'd been smiling and quickly stopped.

"You have feelings for Sark."

She momentarily considered denying it, but the point of this meeting was to be honest with her father; she had to be honest about everything. "Dad, I love him."

……

"I can't believe you did it."

"Me either." Sydney laughed a little as she thought about how different the lunch with her father had from what she had been expecting. First, learning that he had knowledge of the passenger, but then especially his reaction to finding out about Sark. He hadn't been pleased of course, but he hadn't been as angry as she had thought he would. It was encouraging for her to know that he was open to her feelings.

"Syd, are you okay?" Sark watched her pace around the living room as he relaxed on the couch with Ava curled up against his chest. Sydney had been pacing for ten minutes without rest.

"What?" She glanced at him, but kept moving. "Oh, yea I'm fine…just thinking."

"About what specifically? Me? Your father? The CIA?"

"My sister." Sydney answered. "I have to find her, Sark."

"I know." He kissed the top of Ava's head as she sniveled in her sleep. "I want to help you in any way I can. As this time however, we are at the mercy of Arvin's informant."

Sydney nodded. "I know, I'm just impatient. From what Sloane told us, it sounds like she could be in trouble!"

"I know." Sark repeated, feeling there was nothing else he could say to calm her down. "At least we aren't in this alone anymore, right?"

Sydney's eyes shifted away from him, focusing on one of the framed pictures that sat on the mantel.

"Sydney?" Sark stood, carefully cuddling his daughter. "Your father is going to help, isn't he? You said that he was willing…"

"I know what I said."

"Then, why are you so upset?"

"I just don't know what to expect from him. He hates you so much. And Sloane…and for him to know that I've been working with both of you for so long without telling him…I don't know if he'll forgive me for that. Or if he'll ever fully understand how I feel…"

"You mean about me, I assume? Your feelings for me…" He secured Ava in one arm and placed his free hand on Sydney's shoulder.

Sydney rested her cheek against his hand, kissing his knuckles. "I just want everything to be happy. I want us to be a family and I want my dad to except you as a part of my life."

"Sydney, as wonderful as that sounds, I have been one of the top ten wanted on your agency's watch list for the past five years. That fact is not going to miraculously disappear simply because I got you pregnant."

"Thanks." She sighed at his unhelpful sarcasm and pulled away, resuming her pacing pattern around the room.

He watched her for a minute without saying anything. He wanted to cheer her up and make everything better, but he didn't know what to do. Their uncomfortable silence was soon interrupted by Sydney's chirping cell phone. She slipped it out of her pocket and answered it quickly.

"Hello?"

Sark waited for only a moment before she pressed the speaker button and moved closer for him to be a part of the conversation.

"We're both here, Sloane." She told him.

"I'm afraid I don't have very good news."

"What's wrong?" Sydney's grip on the phone tightened and Sark slipped his arm around her waist for comfort.

"My contact has been able to come up with no new information regarding your sister. The last he heard she had been taken from her safe house in Argentina."

"Where was she taken? Who took her?" Sydney demanded, nearly shouting into the phone.

"I don't know Sydney. I'm afraid that's all the information that I have. I was hoping I would have something more solid for you to move on, but I don't. I just thought you should know." Sloane told her.

Sydney felt like crying. She had been so hopeful, and now to hear that they had no information regarding her sister's location, she felt that they would never get any closer. The phone trembled in her hand as tears clouded her vision and Sark took the phone from her, removing his arm from her waist as she moved over to the couch.

"Arvin, thank you for telling us. Please keep trying to find her and keep us updated." Sark asked, glancing at Sydney with concern. "Also, you should probably know that Jack Bristow has become aware of our operation."

"Jack? Really? How did that happen?"

Sark waited for Sydney to explain, but her distress implied that she wasn't ready to talk, so he continued. "Sydney told him."

"Did she?"

"Yes. She told him everything."

"Everything?" Sloane repeated. "Does that include the details of your relationship?"

"Yes. He knows that I am Ava's father, and that I have been staying with Sydney, helping her to find out more about her sister. And though the CIA is still unaware, Jack now knows that Sydney also has all her memories from her missing two years."

"Jack is a good man, and he used to be a good friend to me. I just hope that he can be trusted with this information."

"Me too." Sark spoke quietly, feeling a little guilty for doubting Sydney's decision to confess to her father. He wished that she had discussed her plan with him first, but he knew that it was ultimately her decision to make.

"I'll be in touch."

"Goodbye." Sark hung up the phone and placed it on the coffee table before placing Ava in the crib they had stationed in the living room. Just like his place in Scotland, they had placed a crib in every room so she could always be near them. "Sydney, we'll find her."

"I just don't understand how I never knew about her, when she's obviously very important to someone. Who has her?" Sydney exclaimed. "It just doesn't make any sense! Nothing makes any sense to me anymore."

"Nothing?" Sark frowned. "That's quite a leap." He opened his arms out to her, but she didn't fall into them as he expected her to. "Sydney…what else is on your mind?"

She shook her head. "It doesn't matter…we can't waste time thinking about it right now…"

"Sydney, tell me!"

She hesitated for a moment before replying. "It's Kendall. It's driving me crazy that we still don't know exactly why the Covenant took me in the first place…" Her phone rang again and she retrieved it from the coffee table. "We'll talk about it later." She told Sark before answering her phone. "Dad?"

Sark looked at her curiously, wondering if she would again put the conversation on speaker for him, but not feeling right about asking. He was pleased when she did so anyway, holding it out once again for him to hear, but holding her finger to her lips for him to stay silent.

"Sydney, I have some information, regarding your sister's whereabouts."

"You do? What do you know? Is it good news?"

Sark took her hand, trying to calm her down.

"I'm not sure…I found security voice recordings from a private hospital in Lima."

"Peru? Is that were she is?" Sydney didn't wait for him to answer, but continued with her bombardment of questions. "Is she working there? Was she a patient? How long ago is the recording from?"

"Sydney…" Sark couldn't help himself from speaking up. She was behaving too emotionally and it made him a little nervous.

"Sydney," Jack didn't miss Sark's soft whisper. "You're not alone, are you?"

"No, dad, I'm not. I told you that Sark has been staying with me."

"I just didn't realize that he would be there…at this moment."

"Yes you did." Sydney retorted. "He's always here when I need him."

Sark smiled at her, feeling unusually delighted at the fact that she had finally told someone else about their relationship; and not just anyone, but her father! He kissed her cheek softly.

"Can we get back on topic, please?" Sydney returned her attention to the phone call. "Where is my sister now?"

"From what I could tell from the communications, a woman was being transferred that afternoon to a facility in Russia."

"Russia? Why so far away?"

"I don't know, Sydney. I'm not even positive that the woman they were referring to was your sister." Jack paused. "Though, from the DNA records I have managed to track down, I have reason to believe that she is indeed still in Russia."

"What's she doing there?" Sydney asked. She waited, but her dad didn't respond. "What's wrong? What aren't you telling me?"

"Your sister is a patient at a psychiatric hospital."

……

"For the record, I still don't think this is a good idea."

"And for the record, I don't care what you think." Sydney didn't mean to snap at him, but she needed someone to be on her side, and right now she felt entirely alone, even though she was in the company of the two most important people in her life: her dad and her boyfriend.

"As much as I hate to admit it, I agree with Sark." Jack grunted, eyeing his daughter.

She turned her glare to her dad. "I told you that you didn't have to come with—either of you for that matter. I was perfectly willing to come alone."

"And I told you that I would never let you pursue something this dangerous without me." Sark reminded her.

Jack didn't feel it was necessary to remind his daughter why he was there. She knew perfectly well that he didn't trust Sark, and he probably never would.

"I'm sorry that the two of you refuse to support me, but I am not leaving here without my sister." Sydney slid a handgun into a holster fastened around her thigh. "You can either help or stay here." She pushed open the door of the van and jumped out. She glanced over her shoulder briefly. "Well?"

Sark didn't have to consider it before following her out of the van, securing his own gun in the holster on his belt. He reached out to take her hand, hoping to assure her that she indeed had his support. Instead of taking his hand though, Sydney placed her hands on her hips and glared at her dad until he joined them outside of the van.

"Good, now let's go. My sister is in there somewhere, and I'm ready to meet her." Sydney smiled slightly at the thought of being so close to a person she had been so desperate to know for so long now, but at the same time she felt overwhelmed with anxiety. She knew nothing about this half-sibling. She could be a psycho—she was in a mental hospital after all. Sydney's gut told her not to worry though. Somehow she knew that she was meant to find her sister and to save her.

Jack and Sark followed Sydney to the back door, which opened easily with the codes that Sark had obtained earlier. The entire operation had been mapped out perfectly beforehand so there would be no surprises. They even knew which room Sydney's sister was supposed to be in.

"All right, dad, it's show time." Sydney whispered to her dad as they gained entrance into the hospital and peered down the empty back corridor.

Jack adjusted the doctor's coat and glasses he had chosen to complete his alias and nodded. "Let's go."

Sydney shook the long black hair of her wig out of her face and slumped against Sark, letting him hold her up so she appeared weak and disoriented. The three of them walked boldly further into the hospital towards the elevators at the far end of the hall.

Jack pressed the 'up' button and they waited nervously. The elevator arrived and opened empty. They stepped in and Jack pressed the appropriate button. The climb to the fourth floor felt unending and Sydney's stomach felt unusually tense.

"You okay?" Sark seemed to sense her mood.

"Yea, just a little nervous," She replied in a whisper.

"It's going to be fine."

The elevator doors opened and Sydney didn't have a chance to answer. They stepped out onto the fourth floor, grateful for the vacant hallway. Two orderlies were at the far end of the hall, but they were bent over a clipboard and didn't seem to notice the intruders.

"Room 471." Jack whispered as they reached the door. "This is it."

Sark glanced around before pushing open the door and ushering Sydney in first. He and Jack followed quickly, shutting the door behind them.

"Oh my god…" Sydney's eyes had been instantly drawn to the only bed in the room where a young woman with dark hair was lying; she appeared to be asleep. "Do you think that's her?"

Jack shrugged, "How should I know?"

Sydney approached the bed slowly and reached out a trembling hand to touch the young woman's arm. "She looks like mom."

Sark stepped up beside Sydney, peering down at the sleeping woman. "She does." He agreed. "It must be her, Sydney. There's no one else in the room."

"Dad…" Sydney glanced over her shoulder, noticing that her dad was still standing by the door. "What do you think?"

"If you think she looks like your mother then I'd say it's a safe bet she's your sister." Jack agreed.

"How do we get her out of here?" Sark's eyes habitually scanned the room. "Here!" He spotted a wheelchair in the corner and rolled it over to the side of the bed. "Help me get her in." He and Sydney maneuvered the woman into the wheelchair—her head slumped to the side.

"We should go." Jack reached to open the door, but before he had a chance it swung open and a doctor stepped into the room.

"Who are you?" His eyes stretched wide as he surveyed the three strangers with his patient. "What are you doing here? This is a private room!"

"We…umm…we're here to…" Jack failed for a story on the spot, perhaps for the first time in his life. Seeing the daughter of his wife's affair had left his mind in less than perfect working order.

"You're not supposed to be here!" The doctor repeated. He stepped back into the hall and started shouting as loud as possible: "Security! Security!"

Sark rushed forward, acting in Jack's stead, and used the handle of his gun to knock the doctor out. "We've got to get out of here. Security won't take long to respond."

Sydney took charge of pushing the wheelchair as Jack and Sark took the lead with their guns drawn. They were almost to the elevator when it happened—too fast for anyone to react appropriately.

"Dad! Behind you!" Sydney saw the security first, exiting from the stairwell to the left of the elevator.

Jack had only just turned around when the security pulled the trigger of his handgun and Sark had thrown himself in front of Jack protectively, taking three successive shots to the chest and stomach. In the next instant Jack had recovered and had his own gun aiming towards the security guard. He shot once, but the security guard seemed to lose his own nerve and had darted back into the protection of the stairwell.

"Sydney, I…I'm sorry!" Jack apologized rapidly as Sydney abandoned the wheelchair holding her sister and dropped to her knees beside Sark.

"Sark…" Tears poured from her eyes as she covered the bullet holes with her hands to stop the blood. It was a pointless effort. "Dad, we have to get him out of here!"

Jack hesitated for a moment. Saving the life of a wanted terrorist was not on his itinerary for the day. Sydney's pain though was too unbearable for Jack to witness without doing something to fix it.

"Dad, please, you can't let him die." She sobbed, touching Sark's cheek with her bloody fingers. When she bent down to kiss him, Jack had to shut his eyes, but his mind was made up.

"Come on. Help me get him to his feet." Jack bent down to pull Sark up with Sydney helping. Once Sark was standing, mostly, Jack fixed himself beneath Sark's arm to hold him up while Sydney returned to the wheelchair. "You're going to have to cover me with your gun. I can't carry him and shoot."

"I'll take care of it!" Sydney assured him. "Just don't let him die."

The elevator opened and Sydney directed her sister's wheelchair into it with one hand and pulling out her gun with the other. They arrived on the first floor and Sydney stood at the doors to the elevator, ready to open fire. Strangely, when the doors slid open there were only three guards waiting for them. She shot them without hesitation, injuring all three badly enough for them to drop their guns.

"For a private hospital, security here sucks." Sydney commented as she drove the wheelchair out of the elevators and down the hall toward the back door. Jack followed more slowly, nearly dragging Sark along behind him.

"I wouldn't doubt that they have more on the way," Jack told her. "I doubt they expect there to be any frequent break-ins to a psychiatric hospital."

Sydney opened the back door, peered out cautiously, and led the way back to the waiting van. She pulled her sister out of the wheelchair, depositing her on the floor in the back of the van, while Jack shoved Sark in beside her. Sydney climbed into the back of the van while her dad took the driver's seat. He had only just started the engine when the shrill scream of sirens invaded the parking lot.

"See?" Jack pressed down on the gas petal and sped away as a pack of squad cars started pursuit.

Sydney cracked open the back window and aimed her gun at the leading car's tires. With two expert shots she had crippled it enough to cause it to spin out of control, colliding with the three cars behind it. Only one more still followed the van.

"Dad, I'm out of bullets. Where's your gun?"

"I think I dropped it back in the hospital." Jack called over his shoulder, without taking his eyes off the road as he expertly skidded through the streets. They were lucky the hospital wasn't in a crowded part of the city.

Sydney frantically searched the van for her spare gun and found it stuffed in her bag, which had slid beneath the front seat. Returning to her post at the window she aimed for the final squad car and sent four bullets through the front windshield. The car screeched to a stop, allowing the van to escape.

"We're free!" Sydney told her dad, dropping the gun on the floor and moving to Sark's side. Her sister was still sleeping deeply and she assumed she had been drugged as part of her treatment at the hospital. Sark, however, did not look very peaceful. "Hey…you just hang on. We're going to get you to a hospital…"

"Sydney…" Sark breathed slow and deep. "What hospital is going to take a terrorist?" His hand rested over one of the bullet holes in his stomach and Sydney reached out to take it.

"Don't worry about that. My dad will figure out what to do. You are going to be just fine." She leaned closer to him, so he wouldn't have to strain himself to talk.

"I'm glad you found your sister."

"I couldn't have done it without you," she told him.

"Now…" He coughed. "Now you have to focus…on then Covenant."

"You mean _we_ have to focus." Sydney corrected him. "We're both going to focus on the Covenant and we're going to bring them down together."

Sark's head rolled from side to side in a feeble shake. "Sweetie…I love you…"

"Don't you dare start talking like that!" She raised her voice slightly. "I don't want to hear your goodbyes, Julian. You are going to be fine, and we're going to go home together and be with our daughter…" She tried to fight the tears. "You're going to be fine!"

"I…love…you." His eyelids fluttered and she knew he was fading.

"Dad! We have to do something." She'd given up on holding back the tears. Her sobs had taken over. "I can't lose him! I need him."

"I know," Jack admitted softly. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Sydney sobbing over Sark. "I'm going to do everything I can."

"Please, hurry." She lowered her lips to Sark's ear. "I love you so much."


	71. Awake

_A/N: Just wanted to say thank you so much for all the review. I apologize for how short this update is, but the next one I will try to make longer. Also, regarding the story with Sydney's sister, it's not going to follow the show directly, as you should start to realize fairly quickly. So some things might overlap, but I'm definitely going in a different direction! I hope you all continue to enjoy…and of course review! Thanks again. _

……

"Sydney, I have to go in to work." Jack stood patiently at his daughter's side. He hated leaving her, but he had already missed three days. Any more and he knew the CIA would become suspicious. "We don't want them looking too closely at the story I gave them."

She didn't look up at him; her eyes rarely ever left Sark. She had been sitting at his side day and night without rest. "It's fine. You should go. I told you that you could have gone before."

"I didn't want to leave you." He reminded her. "I still don't, but…"

"Dad, I'll be fine." She forced herself to look up at her dad. "I appreciate all you've done already, more than you'll ever know."

He nodded and leaned down to kiss her forehead. "Sydney, please remember to take care of yourself. I know how worried you are for him, but he's going to be fine. You need rest yourself and eat something once in a while."

She nodded absentmindedly and repeated: "I'm fine."

"All right," he headed towards the door. "I'm going now. I'll call you when I land in LA, okay?"

"Bye," she nodded again and returned her steady gaze to Sark.

Jack pulled open the door and was greeted with a surprise. "Arvin?"

"Jack," Sloane stood on the other side of the door preparing to knock. "I didn't realize you would still be here. I assumed the CIA would have missed you by now."

"I was just leaving actually. What are you doing here?"

"Sydney told me where you were staying." Sloane explained. "I came to see my daughter, of course. And to check on Sydney," he stepped past Jack and in to the safe house they were staying at. It wasn't a CIA safe house, but one of Jack's private locations that he kept for his own personal business when times like these called for it. "Sydney, how is he?"

Sydney shook her head, "he hasn't woken up yet."

"But you have had a doctor inspect him, correct?"

Jack hesitated in the doorway. Leaving now that Sloane had come didn't feel right. He didn't want to leave his daughter alone with two men who used to work together in a terrorist organization. He didn't care about Sloane's stories of reform, or Sark's either for that matter. They weren't to be trusted.

"Dad knew of a private physician in the area that we could trust. He met us here and removed the bullets and stitched him up, but…" she placed a hand on Sark's cheek. "I just wish he would wake up and tell me that he was okay for himself."

"The doctor said he would recover fine in a few days. He just needs his rest." Jack spoke up.

"It's been forty-eight hours." Sydney reminded him. "I thought he would wake up by now."

Sloane analyzed Sydney's bloodshot eyes and dark circles. "Sydney, have you slept at all?" He took her silence for an answer. "Have you eaten?" Silence again. "You can't do this to yourself. Julian will wake up and he will be fine, but you have to keep up your strength in the meantime. He wouldn't want you to run yourself down like this."

"I know, you're right…" she sighed. "I'll eat something."

Jack frowned. In only a couple minutes Sloane had managed to get through to Sydney in a way he hadn't succeeded in almost three days. He knew it was because Sloane understood the relationship that Sydney and Sark had in a way that he never could. He realized that she didn't need him to stay there to protect her. She would be fine alone.

"I have to go now, sweetheart." He spoke up again. When she didn't say anything he addressed Sloane. "Take care of her." He hated to say it, but he had to.

Sloane nodded, "I will as if she were my own daughter."

Jack fought the urge to shout at Sloane, and left.

"Where is she?" Sloane asked Sydney, the moment they were alone.

"She's in the back bedroom. She's been comatose since we got her. The doctor checked her out too and told us that they had been giving her drugs to keep her out. So once the drugs have left her system, she'll wake up. It shouldn't be more than twelve hours now."

"Good," Sloane took a few steps towards the back bedroom and then stopped.

Sydney followed him with her eyes; she knew exactly why he was hesitating. "Go on," she encouraged. "You've waited so long to find her."

A slight smile formed on his face and he nodded, "I really have."

She watched him until he disappeared into the back bedroom and then she turned her attention back to her own patient. Sark was still lying perfectly still and silent on the pullout couch they had set him up on. The house was small and only had one bedroom—they had given it to her sister. Jack had opted to sleep on the floor the night before and Sydney hadn't slept at all. She had sat in dedication at Sark's side, waiting for the moment he would open his eyes. The doctor told her he would recover fully, but she was starting to have her doubts.

"Sark…" She leaned in close and spoke in a whisper. "Julian…" she cleared her throat. "I know you are strong enough to fight this," she placed her cheek on chest. "You have to be strong enough. I need you." Her hand clenched his tightly. "I know we've had our disagreements, our problems, in the past, but you have to know that I have never cared for anyone like I care for you. You can't just take that away from me. We have a life together, we have a daughter, and we are going to raise her together as a family. I don't care what that means I have to do—I'll live in hiding forever if it means being with you and Ava…" she started to cry. "I just want to be together and happy. I need you to make that happen."

"Okay…"

For a moment Sydney thought she was hearing things. Considering her lack of sleep, she wouldn't doubt it, but then she felt his fingers move beneath her palm and she knew she wasn't hallucinating. "Sark?!"

"Hi…" Sark's eyes were just barely open, but she noticed the difference.

"You're awake!" She sat up instantly to inspect his condition. "How do you feel? Can you move?"

"I feel excellent…" he seemed to be struggling to speak loudly, but he did the best he could. "Really, I'm ready to try out bungee jumping this afternoon."

A laugh escaped Sydney's lips. She was so excited to see him talking, she didn't even mind his untimely sarcastic humor.

"Were you worried about me?"

She answered with a kiss on his cheek.

"So, yes then?" He smiled slightly. "That's good. It's good for you to worry every once in a while. God knows you don't have enough worry in your life as it is."

"Sark, how are you joking when you're in this kind of condition?"

"It's just who I am Sydney…when I'm around you at least. You make me want to be happy. My mind doesn't allow negative thoughts when you're around." He lifted his eyelids more so he could look at her. "Now, I helped you rescue your sister, I was shot three times for your father, and I've been unconscious for God only knows how long. What's a fellow got to do to earn a kiss?"

"Are you sure you're up to it?"

"Did you honestly just ask me if I was up for a kiss?" Sark sounded like he was trying to laugh, but it came out a little weak and raspy.

"Well, I didn't know…"

"Sydney, I can handle a kiss." He assured her. "Now, sex might be a little difficult, but I am willing to give it a try…"

"Sark!" Sydney would have hit him if he had been in better condition, but instead she gave into his playful attitude and gave him the requested kiss.

"Now see, that's much better than bed rest or medicine." He struggled to lift his arm.

"Why are you moving?" She demanded.

"I want to hold you," he told her.

"Sark, there will be plenty of time for that when you get better…all the way better." She gently pushed his arm back down to his side "I promise."

"Sydney…"

Sark's eyes widened at the sound of Sloane's voice coming from the back bedroom. "I thought we were alone."

Sydney shook her head. "Sloane wanted to see my sister."

"Oh," his eyes expressed something that his voice didn't.

"What's wrong? Do you think it's a bad idea for him to be here?"

"No, he should see her," Sark confirmed. "The whole situation is just a little bit peculiar, that's all."

"Peculiar how?"

"I don't know for sure," Sark continued. "I can't explain it. There's just something off about how sudden everything has fallen together." He noticed the worried crease forming in Sydney's forehead and he smiled. "Sweetheart, don't let it bother you. I'm sure I'm just being paranoid."

"Maybe," she replied; now she was worried.

"Just be careful about how quickly you let yourself trust Arvin, all right?"

"Of course," she assured him. "I'm not going to trust him at all!"

"Good, then why don't you go and see what he wants?"

Sydney glanced over her shoulder towards the bedroom and then back at Sark. "That's okay. If it's important he can come to me."

"Sydney, you can leave me for a moment you know. I'll still be here when you return." Sark knew instinctively that she was staying put for his sake. "He could need you for something important."

"No, really, I should stay here…"

"Sydney, don't make me use my stern voice."

She smiled, "you don't have a stern voice."

"I suppose that's true, but if you forced me, I'm sure I could make one."

"All right, I'll go see what he wants." She leaned down and kissed him once more. "But you have to promise me that you're going to stay still and not try to stand or move your arms or anything crazy like that, okay?"

"Yes ma'am."

Sydney grinned at his sarcasm; even when he was suffering from potentially fatal wounds, he still managed to make her smile.

"You called?" She entered the back bedroom to find Sloane kneeling beside the bed where his daughter was lying.

He didn't say anything, but instead just looked up at Sydney—his dark eyes shone with excitement. She started to question him again, but one look at the bed told her what she needed to know: her sister was awake.

"How long has she been awake?"

"Only a moment," Sloane replied, moving over to give Sydney more room to kneel beside him.

The woman on the bed had opened her eyes, and she seemed to be focusing on Sydney and Sloane, but she was clearly disoriented. Sydney looked at Sloane and he looked at her, but neither of them spoke.

"Say something," Sydney nudged Sloane.

"Hello," Sloane spoke softly.

"Hello?" Sydney rolled her eyes. "That's your brilliant speech."

"What would you like me to say?" He asked her. "If you think you have something better, then why don't you give it a try?"

Sydney hesitated. She didn't have an idea what to say. Nothing seemed right. How do you tell someone that you're their sister, when they probably didn't even know they had a sister?

"Hi," She spoke at last. She could feel Sloane rolling his eyes at her, but she pretended to ignore him. "I know you're probably really confused right now, but I promise you're safe here. There's a lot that I need to tell you, but I think it's best if we just let you feel better first. They were using a lot of drugs to keep you sedated at the hospital. It might take a while for them to all get out of your system."

"Do you need anything?" Sloane asked her and Sydney mentally kicked herself for not thinking to ask it herself.

The woman turned her head more, her dark eyes focusing on Sydney. Her lips pursed together and then separated slowly. She seemed to be trying to speak, but no sound came.

"Sloane, maybe you should get her some water."

The woman shook her head slowly and moved her lips again, this time managing to make noise. "You're…" she took a breath. "Sydney?"


	72. Answers and More Questions

"Dad, I'm freaking out here!"

"Sydney, you have to stay calm. I understand that you are under a lot of stress right now, and you must be very confused, but I need you to keep a level head." Jack spoke loud and clear through the phone.

"A level head?" Sydney repeated. "That's your sage advice? Dad, my sister—who I never knew existed—knows who I am! She knows me dad! She knows me…"

"Yes, I got that the first ten times you said it," Jack obliged her rant, but he wanted her to be silent and listen to him. "Sydney, we don't have time to worry about that right now. You have to keep your priorities straight. Most important right now is getting your sister well enough to travel. You can't stay there forever, you must return. The CIA is clearly developing suspicions about how many breaks you have been taking."

"I just had a baby…"

"And you promised Dixon that she wouldn't interfere. If he thinks that you can't handle both the job and motherhood…"

"I know," Sydney didn't need her dad telling her everything that was at risk. "I'll take care of it. We just need more time."

"Well, I don't know how much more time you can take."

"Dad, Sark's still barely able to sit up. And my sister is still having a hard time speaking. Neither of them are in any condition to travel."

"Perhaps you should leave Arvin there to take care…"

"No." She cut him off. "That's not going to happen. I appreciate all he's done to help, but I'm not leaving Sloane here without supervision."

"All right," Jack realized he had made a mistake in even suggesting it. "It is your choice, but please figure something out soon."

"I will. Dad, how's Ava?"

"She's fine, Sydney. Weiss is taking good care of her," Jack assured his daughter. "But she does miss her mother. He says she cries more than usual."

"Tell Weiss I'll be home soon." Sydney hung up the phone, feeling less settled then when she had first called him. Dad's were supposed to fix things, weren't they? She had always been able to count on her dad to give her the right answers and make her problems go away, but not anymore. It had been a long time since she had truly been able to rely on him with her problems.

"Sydney, are you off the phone?"

She turned at the sound of Sloane's voice calling from the living room. Sydney left the phone on the kitchen counter and joined the guys in the other room. "Sorry it took so long, I was just updating my dad…"

"Sydney," Sloane was shaking his head.

"What?"

"I know what you must be going through right now. I just wish you could trust me enough to discuss it with me," Sloane told her. She was puzzled over how sincere he could sound when he tried. "If anyone could understand the confusion you must be feeling over this situation, it would be me."

"I'm sorry, but how exactly could you understand how I am feeling?" Sydney crossed her arms and stared down at him—he was sitting on the couch. "Sure she's your daughter, but she's my sister, a sister I never knew about _you_ never told me!"

"Your mother never told you either," Sloane added quietly.

"Oh, that's real mature, try to blame this on someone else?" She shook her head. "No, this one is all on you. My mother was trying to protect me, or my sister, you were just being selfish and trying to protect your damn Rambaldi!"

"How do you know your mother was trying to protect you?"

Sydney hesitated. Truthfully, she didn't know, but it was more comforting then any other possibility. "Because I've witnessed things that my mother has done for me before. As screwed up as she is, I know that she wants to protect me, and I am willing to bet that she is just as eager to protect her younger daughter."

Sark, who had been lying down on the other couch, now started to raise himself to a sitting position.

"Why are you moving?" Sydney swooped down at his side. "You should be resting still…"

"Sydney, you've had me _resting_ for five days! I can't lay about forever! I need to move sometimes." He continued to sit up. "I'm feeling much better, honestly. This is hardly the worst I've been injured in my lifetime."

"Sark you took two bullets to the chest." She ran her fingers over the bandages that covered his bare chest. "You're lucky that third one only grazed your arm!"

"I'm tough," he told her, smiling. "I could take a hundred bullets."

"Don't joke," she snapped. "I'm not in the mood."

"I'm sorry love, I'm not trying to make you upset, I just wish you could be a little less dramatic about all this." He steadied himself with one hand braced against the couch and used his free arm to pull Sydney down on the couch beside him. "You need to be able to take this whole situation in stride. Don't try to process it all at once, and please stop trying to do it all on your own."

She let him hold his arm around her waist, but inside she was fighting the touch. She didn't know how to make everyone understand what she was feeling. A part of her wanted to scream and break something, but the other part of her wanted to cry for hours without stop. The emotions that this entire situation had stirred within her, were new and a little frightening. She feared for Sark's life, she feared for her job, she was concerned about Sloane's motives, but most of all she was confused about her sister. Her sister hadn't said another word since she had spoken Sydney's name. For most of the time she slept, but when she was awake she simply stared. Sydney was worried for her—worried about what she had suffered. And then she had to deal with the confusing feeling of being worried for a girl that she never knew anything about.

"Sydney, are you all right?"

Sydney glared at Sloane for interrupting her thoughts. "I'm fine."

"You look…I don't know…you look a little queasy."

"I'm fine," she repeated. "I think that maybe I will go lay down for a minute though. I haven't been sleeping very well."

"Would you like me to come with you?" Sark offered instantly.

She smiled at his eagerness. "No, I think I'd be better sleeping alone right now."

He nodded, but looked a little disappointed. Since he had been recovering on the couch, they hadn't even been sharing a bed for the week. He missed being close to her when he slept.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Sloane repeated.

"Yes," she assured him. "I'll only be a little while. Maybe you could make yourself useful and cook something for dinner."

Sloane nodded. "Of course Sydney, anything you need."

Again she was puzzled, and irritated, by his sincerity. She ignored it though, for the time being, and headed toward the hallway that split into the three back bedrooms. Instead of going to hers, though, she slipped into her sister's. If she was ever going to find answers, she knew that it would have to be alone—without Sloane or Sark looking over her shoulder.

Her sister's eyes were closed, apparently sleeping. Sydney sat in the chair beside her sister's bed, and decided she would wait for as long as it took. It was the first time she had been alone with her sister since they had brought her there; Sloane was usually by her side day and night. Sydney had only just made herself comfortable when her sister's eyes fluttered open.

"Hi," Sydney leaned in to speak to her sister quietly. "Are you feeling any better today?"

"I've been wanting to talk to you."

Sydney glanced back to make sure their alone time hadn't been interrupted, and then leaned even closer to the bed. "How long have you had enough strength to talk?"

"I don't know," she shrugged her shoulders. "I possibly had it always, but I didn't have anything to say to _him_."

"You mean Sloane? Your father?"

She nodded. "He gives me a very bad feeling."

Sydney smiled. "Yea, me too, but I think that he really does love you and I think you might be able to trust him."

"But you're not sure, are you?"

"No," Sydney answered honestly. "I'm not really sure about a lot right now."

"I know you must have a hundred questions for me."

Sydney nodded. "I do. First of all, what's your name?"

Her sister smiled. "I can't believe we haven't covered this yet! I thought that perhaps my father would know…"

"Sloane never knew your name," Sydney explained. "I think your charts said your name was Tessa, or something?"

She shook her head. "I'm Nadia. Tessa was just one of my aliases."

"Aliases?" Sydney repeated. "Are you an agent?"

Nadia nodded. "I'm with the Argentinean government."

"So, the hospital that we found you in…"

"I had been captured," Nadia told her. "I didn't think I'd ever get free. They would have killed me eventually—after they were done with all the tests." Her full lips turned up at the corners. "Thank you for saving me." Her hand crawled across the edge of the bed until it found Sydney's hand.

Sydney squeezed her sister's hand tightly. "Anytime."

The girls were both quiet for a minute, staring at each other intensely as though memorizing every detail of one another's faces. Finally, Sydney had to break the silence.

"How did you know who I was?"

Nadia's smile faded. "I was wondering when that would come up." Her hand unintentionally slipped from Sydney's grasp. "I've always known about you."

"Always?" Sydney's eyes widened. "How?"

"Mom raised me until I was ten. She told me all about you, but she never mentioned who your father was. I just assumed we didn't have the same father." Nadia explained. "When I was older, I wanted to find you, but I didn't even know how to start. Mom had told me that you didn't know anything about me, and showing up on your doorstep didn't seem like a very good plan. Then when I started working with the agency, things got so busy and complicated—looking for you didn't seem like a good idea anymore."

"Complicated?" Sydney wondered if her sister had heard the prophecy.

"You know how it is with our kind of work."

Sydney nodded and decided not to bring up the prophecy.

"I started fearing that I would never meet you," Nadia told her. "I wanted to so much, but it didn't seem possible."

"I wish I had known about you sooner," Sydney replied. "I feel like I have been missing a part of my life to not have known that I had a baby sister." She felt her eyes tearing up.

"I know," Nadia found Sydney's hand again and squeezed it tightly. "I don't want to put too much on you, but I am hopeful that perhaps we'll be able to make up for lost time..."

Sydney nodded. "I would like nothing better."

"Do you think you could help me stand?" Nadia asked, shifting her feet to the side of the bed. "I feel like I've been lying here for months!"

Sydney quickly jumped to her sister's assistance, pulling back the blankets on the bed, and slipping her shoulder beneath Nadia's arm. "Just lean on me if you feel weak at all."

"Thanks," Nadia put her weight on Sydney so she could stand.

"Do you want to go out to the living room? Your dad's out there, and Sark…"

"Who is Sark exactly? He looks familiar, but I don't know why…"

Sydney hesitated. "Well, you might know him because he's technically a wanted terrorist, but he's been good for a while. He's my boyfriend…sort of…"

"Sort of?" Nadia questioned.

"It's complicated," Sydney answered. "The agency doesn't know about our relationship, but we have a child together."

"You have a kid?" Nadia repeated. "How do you handle that, and the job?"

"It's not always easy," Sydney admitted. "But I love my daughter."

"I would love to meet her some day."

"I'd like that," Sydney agreed.

The girls headed out to the living room, with Nadia leaning on Sydney, and staggering slightly. Resting for so long had made her a little disoriented, plus the excess of drugs she had been forced to take were still wearing off. They had only just made it into the living room when the doorbell rang. Sloane emerged from the kitchen instantly and Sark stood from the couch. Both men looked at Sydney and Nadia, only showing the briefest surprise in their expression for seeing Nadia up and about.

"Sydney…" Sark glanced at Sydney and then at the door.

"Wait…" Sydney whispered to the group. She momentarily broke away from Nadia, who used the wall to keep herself balanced, and retrieved her gun from the coffee table. Sark found his own gun while Sydney returned to her post beside Nadia. "Okay, Sloane, open the door."

Sloane nodded and obediently pulled open the door, staying behind it so he wouldn't be the first to be seen. Sark and Sydney had their guns ready, but when the visitor was revealed, they both lowered their weapons instinctively.

"Mom?" Sydney felt torn; part of her wanted to run to her mom and embrace her, but the other part of her felt like raising her gun again.

Nadia, however, didn't seem torn at all. The moment the door had opened and Irena's form had appeared in the doorway, Nadia's strength seemed to vanish. Her hand clutched Sydney's arm and her mouth opened without words.

"What's wrong?" Sark was the first person to notice Nadia's discomfort. His years of training had made him an expert at reading expressions and he knew at once that Nadia was not happy to see her mother; Sark brought his gun back to a position where it was aimed at Irena.

"What is she doing here?" Nadia asked Sydney—her voice was low and shaky.

"I don't know," Sydney answered her. "How did you find us?" She asked her mom.

Irena ignored Sydney's question and took a step into the house, staring directly at Nadia. "I have been looking for you for a very long time, sweetheart."

Nadia shook her head and suddenly started shouting. "Get away from me!"


	73. Time to Commit

_A/N: It's been a long long time. I apologize for the absence. This story became too big for me to manage. I was so busy with school and didn't have the time to commit to it, but I've taken some time now and revamped where I was taking it, so I feel confident in my direction now. The end is in sight, and I hope to have it finished soon. To all my readers, thank you for your constant encouragement, and I hope you will continue to read, enjoy, and review! _

Thirty-six hours. Sydney had never known how quickly thirty-six hours could pass. Everything that had happened in the past couple days had whirled by, making it impossible to catch her own breath. All she wanted was to sleep—for a week. Though, the way things were going Sydney doubted if she'd get the sleep she wanted for a long time.

"Sydney!"

She spun around to seek out the voice that had called her. She recognized it as Dixon of course, but through the crowded office, she had difficulty locating him until he was only a few feet from her.

"Hi," she smiled at him briefly, before turning back to her desk and gathering up a mess of files that she had been organizing.

"You heard about the briefing, right? In five?"

Sydney nodded, turning back to give him her attention. "Yea, I'll be there."

"Good," he smiled, but it only lasted for a second. "I'm glad you've come back Syd."

"I didn't mean to be away for so long. Things have just been more difficult than I thought they would be…I didn't know how hard motherhood could be." Sydney hated lying to Dixon. He had always been a good friend, a loyal partner, and as a boss, someone she could respect and trust. The problem was that as her boss, he had responsibilities that couldn't be ignored because of their friendship. She knew that his devotion to his country came first, which is why she chose to lie. "I'm back now though, and I am ready to return to work entirely!"

Dixon nodded. "That's good to hear, but are you sure that you mean it?"

"Of course," she smiled at him. "You know me. Nothing is more important than serving my country."

"I know that you feel that way, but you're a mother now, and I also know that your child is a priority for you."

"It's okay," she assured him. "I finally found a nanny that I trust, so I won't be worrying about Ava all the time. Just trust that I'm back completely! No distractions."

"Okay," he nodded. "It's good to have you back." His smile returned for a moment. "I've missed having you at work."

"It's good to be back."

"I'll see you in there."

Sydney felt a little sad as she watched him walk away. She missed the friendship they used to have, and she hated the deception, but that was her life now.

_Five minutes._ Sydney glanced at her watch, picked up her cell phone, and darted away to the small soundproof room that people used for private conversations. Once the door was shut she dialed a number from memory—she knew better than to keep it saved in her phone.

"_I've been waiting for you to call." _

"I know, this is the first chance I've gotten away."

"_Is everything all right?" _

"For now," Sydney confirmed. "I only have a minute to talk and then I've got to go to a briefing."

"_Then give me a quick update." _

"I planted the tracer on Kendall's car," she told him. "I haven't gotten his cell phone yet, but I'm still working on it."

"_Good. We need to tap into his line if we want to figure out who he's in contact with from the Covenant." _

"I know," she sighed. "I'm doing the best I can, but it's not like he's just going to hand it over to me." Taking a deep breath to calm herself down a bit, she switched topics. Thinking about Kendall was difficult for her, considering how long she had known the truth about him and yet hadn't been able to do anything about it. "How are things going on your end?"

"_I've made contact with a few people, but no one seems to know anything, or else they just really don't want to tell me anything." _He told her. _"There is someone else that I've been thinking about contacting though. It will be difficult, but I think he may be our best chance. I'll let you know when I have news." _

"Okay, good." She glanced through the door to check on her privacy before moving on to more personal matters. "How's Nadia?"

"_Better," _he said. _"It hasn't been easy for her, of course, but she's doing all right." _

"I wish I could have stayed with her."

"_She knows that you care, but she realizes that the safest thing for the both of you is to be apart. Getting her away from Irena wasn't easy." _

"Yea…" Sydney laughed a little at the memory. Of course it hadn't been funny during the time, but since they had gotten away, it could now be reflected on humorously. "Thanks again for everything you did to help."

"_Anytime." _

She checked her watch again. "I only have one more minute. I can't be late for the briefing. I'm still trying to earn back their trust. You have no idea how hard it's been. I haven't been home in almost sixteen hours. I've just been here catching up on reports and everything, to make them believe that I am truly dedicated to my job again. I can't have anyone doubting me…"

"_How's Ava?" _

She smiled. "I was wondering when you were going to ask. Ava's fine, but she misses you as much as I do."

"_I wish I could be there with you." _

"One day…"

"_One day what?" _

"One day we'll be together and everything will be how it's supposed to be," she told him.

"Do you mean that?'

She glanced at her watch again. "I have to go."

"_I love you." _

"I love you too." She clicked off the phone and stuffed it into her pocket.

"Sydney!"

She smiled at Weiss as he opened the door to the private room. "What's up?"

"Briefing…"

"Yea, I know," she cut him off. "I was on my way."

"Good, we can go together." Instead of walking out with her though, he shut the door and came closer. "Were you talking to Sark just now?"

She nodded.

"How's he doing?"

Sydney could tell it was difficult for him to ask and she smiled at him for his effort. "He's all right. It's so frustrating though…I just want…" she stopped.

"Want what?"

"I don't know," she laughed. "I want everything to be out in the open. I'm so tired of secrets and deceiving and lying…"

"I know," he put his arm around her shoulder comfortingly.

"Do you think it will ever happen?"

"What? Everyone accepting your relationship with Julian Sark?" He laughed.

"Thanks Weiss," she pulled away from him. "That's encouraging."

"I'm sorry Syd, but you know as well as I do that you having an open relationship with a known terrorist is about as likely as me getting that new girl to go on a date with me."

Sydney smiled. "Bridget? I think you might have a shot. Have you asked her out?"

Weiss shook his head.

"Come on Eric, you've got a lot going for you. Any girl would be lucky to be in your life."

They passed by the new girl in question as they left the small room and Weiss suddenly tripped over nothing. When he regained his balance, Bridget had moved on, but not before Sydney and Weiss noticed her snickering.

"Yea, that went well," he sighed.

Sydney slipped her arm into his. "Don't let it get you down. Relationships are more trouble than they're worth. Trust me."

Weiss patted her hand appreciatively, but glanced at her doubtfully. "Are you saying that you would rather not have a relationship with Sark because of how difficult it is?"

She hesitated.

"Yea, I didn't think so." He sighed. "As much as I hate it, I know that you would do anything for Sark…" he paused, "and he would do anything for you."

Sydney smiled up at him. "Thank you for understanding."

"While we're not at all on the subject…I know you and Sark are up to something, and I want in."

"Up to something?" Sydney echoed.

"You've got your own side mission going on. What is it?"

"Trust me Eric, it's better for you to stay out of it. Sark and I have experienced a lot in the past couple years. What we're in the middle of isn't something to be taken lightly."

Weiss frowned.

"What's that face for?" Sydney asked.

"How do you know what you've experienced?"

Sydney hesitated, but he was good at reading her expression.

"Do you remember something Syd?"

She nodded slowly and confessed. "I remember everything."

"How? When?"

"When I went to stay with Sark after having Ava, he found a special doctor who was able to restore my memories. We weren't sure if it would work or not, but it did…"

"Wow." He smiled slightly. "That's amazing."

"Yea…" Sydney shared his smile. "It's good to have them back. There are some things I would probably have rather not remembered, but some of it…"

"You mean your memories that involve Sark?"

She nodded.

"Like I've said before, if you're happy, I'm happy, but I definitely don't need the details."

Sydney smiled. "Understood."

"So?"

Sydney frowned. "You really want in on it?"

He nodded.

"I don't know if that's a good idea Eric," she told him slowly. "What we're involved with…you would have to keep it from everyone."

"I figured that might be the case."

She still hesitated. "I'm going to have to talk to Sark about it first."

Weiss tensed his jaw but nodded. "Of course."

"It's not that I don't trust you, and I'm sure he'll be fine with it, but…"

"It's fine. I understand."

They reached the meeting room and Weiss opened the door for her and they took their seats on the opposite side of the table from Vaughn and his wife. Jack entered a moment later and sat on Sydney's free side. She offered him a brief smile and he returned it. Dixon entered the room last and closed the door to establish privacy for the meeting.

"Thank you all for being prompt. Today I have some unfortunate information to share." He glanced at the screen, which was momentarily blank, but with a click of his remote it flickered on with a familiar face. "Less than thirty-six hours ago we received intelligence on a wanted terrorist. Someone who's been lying low for a while." He paused and made eye contact with everyone in the room. "Julian Sark has been spotted meeting with an unidentified contact just south of Paris, France."

Sydney gasped suddenly, but managed to cover it with a well-faked sneeze. Under the table, Jack put his hand on Sydney's knee.

"Of course at this time we don't have an exact location on Sark, but we believe he is likely still in Paris. We're working on identifying his contact, but I want a team in place in France to pick up the contact and figure out what Sark is up to. He's been in hiding for a long time. For him to emerge now it must be something big."

"Vaughn, I want you to take point on this."

"Me?" He questioned. "I thought you wanted me taking that mission to Mexico."

"This is more pressing."

"Can't someone else lead it though?" He glanced across the table at Sydney.

"I can take it," she spoke up quickly.

Dixon hesitated.

"I can do it," she insisted. "Please let me. I've been on break for too long. I'm going stir crazy. I need this."

"Fine," he conceded, "but take Weiss with you."

Sydney smiled at Weiss and nodded. "Of course."

"All right then. Get ready to go. We'll send the data to you about the contact once it's finalized."

"Sounds like a plan." Sydney stood and motioned for Weiss to follow her.

"Remember you two, plan carefully. If this works, we'll have Sark back in custody and we'll be one step closer to discovering who's behind all of Sydney's disappearances, as well as the mess with the Covenant."

"We won't disappoint you," Weiss assured him.

Sydney nodded and they left together.

"Well that was unexpected." Weiss whispered to Sydney as they left the office together. "How are you going to get around this one?"

Sydney sighed. "You said you wanted in on whatever Sark and I were up to?"

"Yea…" Weiss didn't sound quite as confident anymore.

"Well, I think it's time for you to get in on it."

"Really? Now?"

"We can't put it off anymore," she told him. "It's time to act."

Weiss stopped walking as they entered the parking garage. "We're not coming back from France, are we Syd?"

"It's not too late to back out," she reminded him with a sad little smile. "I wouldn't hold it against you. But if you want in, you've got to be all in."

Weiss was silent for a moment, but then he nodded. "I'm in."


End file.
